Working together with Fran Walsh, Jackson produces 'West of Memphis', a documentary about three young men who were wrongfully convicted of killing three boys in West Memphis in 1993.
- Dec 5, 2011
AceShowbiz - Amid his busy schedule filming "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" in New Zealand, Peter Jackson manages to produce a documentary movie titled "West of Memphis". The documentary is about the infamous wrongful conviction case of the West Memphis Three in 1994.
It tells the true story of Damien Echolls, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley Jr. They are the three Arkansas teenagers who were convicted in 1994 of the murders of three boys in West Memphis in 1993. They were jailed for over 18 years before finally being released in August 2011.
Teaming up with Fran Walsh to make the film, Jackson dubbed the case as "one of the most infamous miscarriages of justice in American history". They also worked together with first-time filmmakers Lorri Davis and husband Damien Echols, who was the recently freed member of the West Memphis Three.
"Seven years ago, Fran and I began this journey with Damien and Lorri, having no idea where it would lead," said Jackson. "We now realize, that journey is not over, that even though these men have been released from prison, they are not free. Our hope is that continuing evidence testing and further investigation will lead to the unmasking of the killer of these children and that one day Damien, Jason and Jessie will be exonerated."
Serving as the director for "West of Memphis" is Oscar-nominated documentarian Amy Berg. In an announcement on Sunday, December 4, Berg said, "This film represents the trial these men didn't have. With the support of Damien and Lorri, along with unprecedented access to those closest to the case, we were able to make a film that shows the inner workings of the defense, the investigation, research, and appeals process, in a way that has never been shown before."
The movie will show some never-before-seen footage about the case, including interviews with the West Memphis Three as well as friends and families of the victims. It will also feature interviews with defense lawyers, state prosecutors, local law enforcement, judges, forensic experts, journalists, surprise witnesses and prominent supporters like Eddie Vedder, Henry Rollins and Natalie Maines.
