James Badge Dale, Jackie Earle Haley, Colin Hanks, David Harbour and Ron Livingston have joined the cast of “Parkland,” the indie drama about the assassination of John F. Kennedy that will mark the directorial debut of scribe Peter Landesman.
Lensing started Friday on “Parkland” in Austin, Texas. The pic is named for Parkland Memorial Hospital, where Kennedy was rushed on Nov. 22, 1963, and later pronounced dead. Zac Efron, Marcia Gay Harden, Paul Giamatti, Billy Bob Thornton, Jeremy Strong and Jacki Weaver have been previously announced as cast members.
Open Road is in talks for U.S. distribution rights. Deadline.com first reported those discussions.
Variety first reported on Aug. 16 that Playtone partners Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman had come on to produce “Parkland.” Exclusive Media joined in October as a producer and financer with toppers Nigel Sinclair and Guy East producing. Producers announced Friday that The American Film Co. will also co-finance with Exclusive.
Bill Paxton has also come on board as a producer. The American Film Company’s founder Joe Rickets is exec producing with American Film Co. president Brian Falk.
“Parkland” chronicles the events leading up to JFK’s assassination and Abraham Zapruder’s famous documentation of the event.
As part of the production deal, Exclusive Media optioned the rights to the book that provides the source material for the film, “Reclaiming History: The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy” by former prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi. The work was published in 2007 by W.W. Norton & Co. and won the 2008 Edgar Award for best fact crime.
Landesman is adapting the screenplay. The film is being planned for a 2013 U.S. theatrical release to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the assassination.
Exclusive Media is handling worldwide distribution rights to the movie, which was introduced to buyers at AFM.
Some of the filming will also take place Dallas.
