Charlize Theron to Film 'Dark Places'

By Liza Foreman

Academy Award winning actress Charlize Theron will star in and produce the film adaptation of Gillian Flynn’s best-selling novel Dark Places to be written and directed by Gilles Paquet-Brenner.

Exclusive Media’s Guy East and Nigel Sinclair will produce and fully finance the film alongside Theron’s production company Denver and Delilah Productions with partners Beth Kono and AJ Dix; StephaneMarsil’s Hugo Productions and Mandalay Vision’s Matthew Rhodes. Tobin Armbrust and Alex Brunner of Exclusive Media will executive produce with Peter Safran, and Mandalay’s Cathy Schulman will also produce in some capacity.

Stephane Marsil has developed and produced all of Gilles Paquet-Brenner’s films starting with 2001’s Pretty Things, which garnered star Marion Cotillard a César nomination. When Gilles brought Gillian’s book to Stephane, he immediately optioned it and engaged Gilles to develop his first English language American film.

Charlize Theron will play Libby Day, a woman who, at the age of 7, survives the massacre of her family and testifies against her brother as the murderer. Twenty-five yearslater, a group obsessed with solving notorious crimes confronts her with questions about the horrific event.

Tobin Armbrust, President Worldwide Production and Acquisitions, will oversee the production for Exclusive Media.

Alex Walton, Exclusive Media’s President of International, will introduce the film to overseas buyers at the upcoming European Film Market in Berlin.

“We are delighted to be teaming up with Charlize, Mandalay Vision, Stephane, and Gilles to bring this riveting thriller based on Gillian’s best-selling book to a worldwide movie audience. Devoted fans of her book will be delighted to learn that the screen adaptation is coming from such a stellar team of creative filmmakers,” said Nigel Sinclair and Guy East.

“I have been working with Gilles for more than ten years now and am very proud of the films we’ve produced. Having developed Dark Places for the past few years as Gilles’ first American film, it is truly gratifying to be working with such fantastic partners in Denver & Delilah, Exclusive Media, and Mandalay Vision,” said producer Stephane Marsil of Hugo Productions.

Mandalay’s Matthew Rhodes & Cathy Schulman said “We knew after our first meeting with Stephane and Gilles that Dark Places would shape up to be a truly special project. Exclusive is a terrific partner, and we’re thrilled they’ve come on board to support Gilles and our stellar creative team in bringing this gripping story to the big screen.”