It’s been announced that Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty), Brendan Fraser (Killers of the Flower Moon), and Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad) have joined the cast of Assassination, a mystery thriller that reveals a new take on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Barry Levinson (Rain Man) will direct from a script by David Mamet (Glengarry Glen Ross), with Levinson and Sam Bromell (Elvis). Al Pacino (House of Gucci) is also attached to star in the project.
Assassination centers around Dorothy Kilgallen, “one of the most famous voices in media at the time. When Dorothy suspects that Lee Harvey Oswald did not act alone, she uses her fame and influence to find the real killer of JFK. Part murder mystery, part film noir, Dorothy’s journey will put her up against the CIA, Mafia bosses, and the FBI, all who would love nothing more than to make her and this story disappear.“
In a statement, Levinson said, “Dorothy Kilgallen was the first female crime reporter in America. She was the only woman to ever cover the JFK case. The only reporter to speak with Jack Ruby. With back-channel sources to the Warren Commission, she started putting pieces together that no one else did. She died under very suspicious circumstances, but it was never investigated.“
When the project was first announced, Mamet was going to direct it himself. The original synopsis also seemed to be more focused on the mob aspect, with JFK’s assassination imagined as a hit ordered by Chicago mob kingpin Sam Giancana. It looks like there’s been a major shift in focus with the new synopsis.
Jason Sosnoff, who will produce the project alongside Corey Large, added, “We love the idea of exploring this topic through Dorothy’s perspective. She was relentless and courageous in pursuing the truth, and this film is as much her story as it is the uncovering of what happened that day in Dallas. It’s beyond exciting to see that Jessica, Brendan, and Bryan are joining Pacino in bringing Barry’s vision to life.“
“It’s an amazing privilege to be working with such distinguished actors,” Large said in his own statement. “They are perfectly cast to bring the thrilling nuances of this original and dynamic script to life under Barry’s guiding hand. Dorothy Kilgallen’s journey is one of the most fascinating untold stories and we are overjoyed to bring it to life for eager audiences.” Production on Assassination is set to begin in early 2025 in Boston. It’s been over 60 years since the assassination of President Kennedy, but the event continues to be examined through movies, TV shows, and more conspiracy theories than you can shake an umbrella man at.