Mary Harron’s latest has found a home. IFC Films snagged North American rights to the “American Psycho” helmer’s take on the Manson Family, “Charlie Says.” The drama premiered at the Venice Film Festival earlier this month. Variety broke the news.
Penned by Guinevere Turner, “Charlie Says” tells the of story of the “three young women who fell under Manson’s spell and carried out a series of savage murders on his orders in 1969, including that of Sharon Tate, Roman Polanski’s pregnant wife. The women were given death sentences, later changed to life in prison. ‘Charlie Says’ depicts their psychological rehabilitation as they faced the reality of their crimes,” the source summarizes.
Others bidders included A24, Momentum, and RLJ Entertainment.
“Charlie Says” stars Matt Smith (“Doctor Who”), Suki Waterhouse (“The White Princess”), Hannah Murray (“Game of Thrones”), Sosie Bacon (“13 Reasons Why”), Marianne Rendón (“Imposters”), and Merritt Wever (“Godless”).
Harron most recently helmed every episode of Netflix/CBC’s Emmy-nominated miniseries “Alias Grace.” Based on Margaret Atwood’s 1996 novel of the same name, the period drama is inspired by a true story and follows a housekeeper (Sarah Gadon, “11.22.63”) accused of murdering her employers.
“I’ve always been very interested in giving a truthful portrait of a woman’s life against her historical times,” the director has said. “I think women’s lives and their opportunities have been so affected by what era they live in. You can’t separate the two. There’s also the idea of public and private in terms of a woman’s public image versus their real experience.”
Harron’s other credits include “I Shot Andy Warhol,” “The Notorious Bettie Page,” and episodes of series such as “Big Love,” “Six Feet Under,” and “The L Word.”