Jeremy Renner and his production company are moving quickly to get one of their passion projects made, with Michael Cuesta gearing up to direct Kill The Messenger this summer. They’ll get some help from Rosemarie DeWitt, who is locking down a deal to co-star with Renner.
Kill The Messenger, written by Peter Landesman, chronicles the tragic true story of investigative journalist Gary Webb. Working at the San Jose Mercury News, Webb uncovered evidence suggesting the CIA’s involvement in the spread of cocaine in Los Angeles. The stories tied the Agency to a scheme that funded Contra rebels in Nicaragua via the drug trade.
His three-part series, called Dark Alliance, hit newsstands in 1996, which led to a long, vicious smear campaign and Webb’s suicide in 2004.
DeWitt is set to play the female lead, though the reports don’t specify whether that means she’ll be Webb’s wife or someone out to help or even discredit him.
Last seen in Promised Land, DeWitt has Lynn Shelton’s Touchy Feely awaiting release over here and has just worked on comedy The Dramatics. She’ll also be part of season two of The Newsroom, due to air here on Sky Atlantic in August.