Variety reports that Joseph Gordon-Levitt will play cult leader Jim Jones in White Night, a new psychological thriller following the events that led to the mass murder-suicide known as the Jonestown Massacre. Gordon-Levitt will star opposite Chloë Grace Moretz, who’ll play surviving cult follower Deborah Layton.
Jones was a religious leader of the Peoples Temple cult, who founded a community in Guyana, South America. Jones’ promises of a life free of the world’s trials led hundreds of people to move to Peoples Temple Agricultural Project, popularly known as Jonestown, which became internationally famous when, on November 18, 1978, more than nine hundred people died from cyanide poisoning — the origin of the unfortunate term “drinking the Kool-Aid”.
White Night is based on Layton’s best-selling memoir Seductive Poison, in which the survivor retells her ascension to the Peoples Temple inner circle and her struggle to tell the truth to the world once Jones’ murderous plans were revealed. The movie is directed by Anne Sewitsky, from a script by William Wheeler.
FilmNation’s president of production Ashley Fox confirmed that the movie will be told from Layton’s perspective, starting when she was inspired by Jones’ ideals, until the disappointment of finding out the truth about the religious leader. As Fox tells it:
“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. Anne’s urgent, thrilling vision for the film will make ‘White Night’ a propulsive, immersive experience for this moment, while being the definitive portrayal of this timeless story.”
Archer Gray’s CEO, Amy Nauiokas, underlined how White Night could serve as a historical investigation of how a charismatic man can convince people to perform hideous acts:
“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.”
Gordon-Levitt will show up next in Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber, where he’ll be playing Uber founder Travis Kalanick. He will also feature as the voice of Jiminy Cricket in Robert Zemeckis’ live-action adaptation of Pinocchio.
White Night begins filming this spring.
via Collider