Reese Witherspoon-Colin Firth movie about “West Memphis Three” to film in Georgia
AP photo
“Legally Blonde” star Reese Witherspoon reportedly will soon begin work on a movie to be filmed in Georgia.
This project will have none of the frothy fun of the movies that star Witherspoon as Elle the mini-dog clutching sorority girl-turned-lawyer, though.
The Hollywood Reporter reports that Witherspoon and Colin Firth will star in “Devil’s Knot,” based on journalist Mara Leveritt’s bestseller about the “West Memphis Three.” The horrifying murders of three 8-year-olds were ascribed to a trio of teenagers, accused of participating in a Satanic ritual. The three were released from prison last year after two decades behind bars.
Here’s a link to a comprehensive New York Times story about the bizarre case.
Work on “Devil’s Knot” starts soon. Serendipitously, Witherspoon, whose past roles include June Carter Cash in “Walk the Line,” may arrive during filming of “Ring of Fire,” another Cash biopic. This one, a Lifetime television movie, stars singer/songwriter Jewel as the wife of Johnny Cash.
- Jennifer Brett/The Buzz/jbrett@ajc.com
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28 comments Add your comment
CobbGOPer
June 5th, 2012
1:44 pm
I’m interested to see if Firth plays a southerner in this film. Never really heard him try to do any other than an English accent before (though for some reason I want to think he HAS in fact played a southerner before, but I can’t for the life of me remember where). Though his buddy (and fellow Englishman) Andy Lincoln of Walking Dead does a pretty good job with his accent, so…
Really?
June 5th, 2012
2:07 pm
I cannot imagine a location in Georgia that could possibly replicate the pit that West Memphis is.
Brian
June 5th, 2012
2:13 pm
Colin Firth has played a southerner before, in some movie called “Main Street” released in 2010. I haven’t seen the movie, but by all accounts it was terrible. I heard his southern accent in the trailers for this movie, and it was excruciating. Hopefully he’ll brush up a bit.
Here’s a link to that movie: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1365483/
sowhat
June 5th, 2012
2:33 pm
boy she looks homeless in that pic
A Southern Girl
June 5th, 2012
2:35 pm
Why even attempt a Southern accent? Most of the time they overdo it. I stopped watching “The Closer” for that very reason.
Any clue on where filming might take place in Georgia?
Get Real
June 5th, 2012
2:42 pm
Reese is southern so it will come easy…can’t speak for Colin
LamarN
June 5th, 2012
3:00 pm
I wish it would come to Crawfordville. Same town Sweet Home Alabama and Get Low were filmed in. One movie shoot is alread scheduled for this fall based on the book “The Tent”
Sluggo
June 5th, 2012
3:01 pm
The sheer number of television and movie projects that have been filmed here in Georgia the last few years has been astounding. I remember when Burt Reyonlds filmed ‘Sharkey’s Machine’ in the early 80’s and that was big deal. Dear God, I am getting old! It seems filming projects bloom like flowers now.
nomaj
June 5th, 2012
3:13 pm
Jude Law did a superb cracker accent in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. And Albert Finney is unsurpassed at doing an authentic southern accent.
Crawfordville is too quaint and scenic for a rat-land setting, Lamar, but south Augusta would work nicely.
Memphis
June 5th, 2012
3:14 pm
Let’s be clear. West Memphis is in Arkansas. . . Just on the other side of the Mississippi River.
Not Memphis, TN
That Dude Says...
June 5th, 2012
3:58 pm
Reese is a 15 on a scale of 1 to 10 for looks.
Lacey Underall
June 5th, 2012
4:14 pm
I’m sure they will find a spot here in Georgia they can mimic west memphis, arkansas. Should be interesting to see what little town they pick!
Lacey Underall
June 5th, 2012
4:15 pm
Oh and Colin Firth? Seriously? No… REALLY??
obama Sin Laden
June 5th, 2012
4:26 pm
Atlanta
Ladybug
June 5th, 2012
4:33 pm
Firth did a north Texas accent in “Main Street” and it did not come off very well. But everything about that movie was awful. He has done American accents competently in a few movies. He plays Ron Lax, a private investigator, in “The Devil’s Knot.” Lax is a Southerner, so we shall see, but Firth is a top rate actor, so I have great expectations he will be fantastic.
I am equally exited that Mireille Enos from “The Killing” has also been cast in this film.
Wondering, though, how Witherspoon’s pregnancy will be handled in the filming.
Harold Lloyd
June 5th, 2012
4:39 pm
Have always been curious why so many Brits are cast as Southerners (e.g. Vanessa Redgrave, Albert Finney, Ewan McGregor, Jude Law, Anthony Hopkins) with all too often disastrous outcomes (All the King’s Men). I like Reese & Colin, here’s hoping this will be a good one!
anyplace in Richmond county
June 5th, 2012
4:48 pm
Andy Griffith did a great southern accent in all of his movies/tv shows.
Reese's Pieces
June 5th, 2012
4:53 pm
Regardless of where it films, I just hope I don’t run into Ms. Witherspoon around town. I’m pretty sure she’s carrying my baby…
Montana Nonnie
June 5th, 2012
4:54 pm
Southern girl, I quit watching Closer foir the very same reason! I am a southern girl by birth and all of my life, so when someone butchers the southern accent it sticks out so much that I can’t enjoy the film. Love Reese Witherspoon, so I hope she will let her natural southern accent out and not overdo it
Valtool
June 5th, 2012
5:17 pm
Harold, don’t forget probably the biggest role of a Southerner played by a Brit, Vivian Leigh as Scarlett O’Hara.
Hillbilly D
June 5th, 2012
6:47 pm
Why even attempt a Southern accent?
Excellent point. They never get it right. One of my favorite portrayals of a Southern character was Ralph Waite as John Walton, on TV. Rather than try to do the accent, he spoke in pretty much his normal voice and captured the soul and spirit of the character, instead. A poor attempt at an accent, and most of them are, is just distracting.
Andy Griffith did a great southern accent in all of his movies/tv shows.
There’s a reason for that; he’s a North Carolinian.
West Memphis Three Facts
June 5th, 2012
10:30 pm
The one sided movies and websites about this case leave out the evidence showing why the West Memphis Three were found guilty by a unanimous jury. They plead guilty last year instead of waiting for a trial.
Of the three teenagers, Misskelley confessed three separate times, once with his lawyer present. Misskelley also told two other people about the crime before he was arrested. Baldwin told someone else he committed the crimes. Echols was seen in muddy clothes near the crime scene. Echols is reported to have either told or bragged about the crime to four people before he was arrested.
Echols had a history of psychiatric treatment and psychotic behavior. His reported actions included brutally killing a dog, starting fires at his school, threatening to kill his teachers and parents and stating he liked to drink blood.
Echols’ stated under cross-examination that he was interested in the occult. Echols’ journal contained morbid images and references to dead children.
Read alternative sources about the case. Don’t just believe the one sided movies.
wm3truth c o m
Casey
June 5th, 2012
10:40 pm
Oh yay! Mireille Enos will be in this movie as well, for any of you who watch The Killing. Love her.
Karen Wasylowski
June 6th, 2012
7:44 am
Colin Firth just filmed in Georgia recently – Arthur Newman Golf Pro, and if you want to see something really funny go to this and watch his southern accent on the last Youtube
http://britsunited.blogspot.com/2011/11/colin-firth-live-from-new-york-its.html
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Lois Metlika
June 10th, 2012
2:24 pm
I READ WHERE FILMING ON THIS MOVIE WILL BEGIN ON jUNE 25 TH IN LOUISIANNA, WHICH MAKES IT CONFUSING FOR ME, WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED SINCEYOUR POST OF JUNE5TH? ALSO, HAVE YOU FOUND WHERE COLIN FIRTH WILL BE SHOOTING HIS ROLE, AND WHEN? SOMEOF HIS FAITHFUL FOLLOWERES WOULD LIKE TO BE THERE,
Lois Metlika
June 10th, 2012
2:34 pm
Karen you are an avid Colin fan, Arthur Newman Golf Pro was filmd in North Carolina, and you really should not make fun of his accent,as a southerner, the movie Main Street was awful, but not because we got to look at him for 2h ours, the plot was awful and the whole thing was a shambles, I think he may play a lawyer,or detective without a southern acccent, but the plot is a true gruesome story and Colin will come through as he did before in many movies such as A Single Man,not speaking like an Englishman, The Firth girls(ladies) in the USA only are interested at this time in knowing when and where he will be, there seems to b some conflict, as they were casting for Louiiana,for June 25 th filming. Any thought on that?