Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Chloë Grace Moretz to lead Jonestown Massacre feature White Night
The drama is based on the real experience of Debbie Layton, a former cult member
In the most unexpected 500 Days Of Summer reunion, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Chloë Grace Moretz will star in the thriller White Night, which follows one woman’s descent in the Jonestown cult led by Jim Jones.
Gordon-Levitt takes on the role of the infamous Christian Socialist preacher and cult leader, whose influence culminated in one of the largest murder-suicides in American history; over 900 people died at the remote jungle commune. Most of those who died were members of the religious cult Jones founded, known as People’s Temple. Moretz will appear as Deborah Layton, who was once a member of the People’s Temple’s core circle and who penned a memoir on her experience titled Seductive Poison.
“Debbie Layton’s Seductive Poison was the first book Anne Carey and I optioned at Archer Gray, and it formed the foundation of our mission to help give voice to the stories it was time to hear,” says Archer Gray’s CEO, Amy Nauiokas. “Debbie’s incredible journey with the People’s Temple deserves an audience across generations. It should serve as warning about the power a certain type of charismatic leader can have and the very real lessons to be learned from our history.”
Based on Layton’s book, the script for White Night was written by William Wheeler, whose previous work includes Ghost In The Shell, Queen of Katwe, and The Lego Ninjago Movie. Anne Sewitsky (A Very British Scandal) has signed on to direct the feature.
“When we first read Bill Wheeler’s adaptation, it was seeing this infamous story from Deborah’s point of view that unlocked it psychologically and dramatically. Entering Jim Jones’ magnetic orbit through the eyes of an idealistic, passionate young woman reminded us that anyone can fall victim to extremism, given the right circumstances,” says FilmNation’s president of production Ashley Fox.