Reese Witherspoon to star in Memphis 3 movie

Actress Reese Witherspoon is set to star in an upcoming movie about the West Memphis Three killings.

The film, titled The Devil’s Knot, will be distributed by Dimension Films, which had developed the project for years.

Witherspoon is the first actor tied to the project. She will play Pam Hobbs, the mother of one of three eight-year-old boys who were brutally murdered in Arkansas in May 1993. Hobbs initially accused Damien Echols, Jessie Misskelley and Jason Baldwin of the murders. However, she changed her mind in 2007 when new evidence emerged.

The trio was released from prison in August. They spent 17 years behind bars, all the while maintaining their innocence. Echols received the death penalty, while Misskelley was sentenced to life imprisonment plus two 20-year sentences and Baldwin was sentenced to life imprisonment.

Many celebrities, including actor Johnny Depp and director Peter Jackson, supported the trio’s release from prison. Jackson is still reportedly financing the official investigation of the murder.

The subject was previously made into the HBO documentary Paradise Lost. It spawned two sequels, Paradise Lost 2: Revelations and Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory detailed the trio’s release.

Witherspoon’s other upcoming films include the comedies This Means War, Wish List and Sex Tape.