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Matt Smith in talks to play Charles Manson in movie from American Psycho director

Christopher Hooton
Wednesday 17 January 2018 06:04 EST
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Charles Manson biopic The Family may have found its lead actor, with Matt Smith reportedly in talks to play the notorious serial killer and cult leader.

There is an obvious link between Smith and director Mary Harron: American Psycho. The actor played Patrick Bateman in the recent Broadway musical adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis’s book, while Harron turned it into a cult classic film back in 1999.

The Family will be based on Ed Sanders’ 1971 novel of the same name along with Karlene Faith’s The Long Prison Journey of Leslie van Houten: Life Beyond The Cult.

It will centre on grad student Faith as she meets three women who were brainwashed into the Manson “family”, their experiences with the cult leader being recounted through flashbacks, told from a special security unit at the California Institute for Women where they were incarcerated.

In addition to the Smith news, Tracking Board also cites sources as telling it that Detroit‘s Hannah Murray and Imposters‘ Marianne Rendón will co-star.

This is not the only Manson-related film in the works right now. We also learned this week that Leonardo DiCaprio will star in Quentin Tarantino’s take on the serial killer who left an indelible imprint on LA, though the role of Manson has yet to be cast.

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