Though the Charles Manson movie getting most of the attention right now is Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, which features Damon Herriman in the role, there’s another film coming down the pipeline which is set to place the spotlight on the infamous killer, too. Its name? Charlie Says.
Set to star Doctor Who alumnus Matt Smith as Manson, the pic – directed by Mary Harron (American Psycho) – will mostly detail the lives of three of his female followers and the student who’s sent into prison to teach them. The former Doctor will star alongside Hannah Murray (Game of Thrones), Marian Rendon (Imposters), Carla Gugino (Watchmen), Kaylie Carter and Merrit Wever (Godless), and though a trailer has yet to make its way online, we now have the next best thing – the first official photo.
Seen down below, it features Smith in character as Manson, though the context of the scene is unknown. For more, though, here’s the official synopsis, courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter:
“Charlie Says will focus on the three young women (Murray, Young and Rendon) who were sentenced to death following the infamous murder case of Manson (Smith). When the death penalty was lifted, their sentence became life imprisonment. One young graduate student, Karlene Faith (Wever), was sent in to teach them, and through her the film will follow their transformations as they face the reality of their horrific crimes.”
Though some might think Smith’s a left-field choice to play such a role, if you look at his previous work on stage, it might make more sense why he was cast. For one, he portrayed Patrick Bateman, as played by Christian Bale in the movie version, in the American Psycho musical back when it debuted in London in 2013. It’s possible, then, that Harron was familiar with his performance in the production and decided to cast him in her new film based on that. Plus, there’s also the fact that Smith is just a tremendously talented individual who can easily slip into almost any role he’s given.
Regardless, we’re certainly excited to see him as Charles Manson in Charlie Says, which is currently eyeing a 2019 release. Once we have confirmation on an exact date for when it’ll premiere, or any additional looks at the pic, we’ll be sure to let you know.