True-Life Drama Premieres in November 2009
GALE ANNE HURD to Executive Produce and TOM MCLOUGHLIN to Direct Teleplay by TEENA BOOTH for Sony Pictures Television
LOS ANGELES, Feb. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Renowned actress Julia Ormond (Legends of the Fall, Sabrina) will headline The Wronged Man, an unforgettable story of justice and redemption premiering on Lifetime Movie Network in November 2009. Mahershalalhashbaz Ali (The 4400), Ormond's The Curious Case of Benjamin Button co-star, also joins the cast as an African-American husband and father convicted of raping a young girl. The film is based on the true story of an unlikely friendship between paralegal Janet Gregory (Ormond) and Calvin Willis (Ali) as they fight to overturn his sentence and restore faith in the justice system. The Wronged Man, from executive producer Gale Anne Hurd's (The Incredible Hulk) Valhalla Motion Pictures and Sony Pictures Television, will begin production this month.
ABOUT THE WRONGED MAN
Janet Gregory (Ormond), a single mother with a haunting past, is a paralegal struggling to overcome doubts about Calvin Willis (Ali), an African-American husband and father wrongfully accused of raping a neighborhood girl. Eventually convinced of his innocence, Janet takes Calvin's pro bono case and wages a dramatic and stormy 22-year battle with the justice system that ultimately redeems an unjustly accused man and cements a life-long friendship.
The Wronged Man will be produced by Valhalla Motion Pictures and Sony Pictures Television for Lifetime Movie Network. Gale Anne Hurd (The Terminator franchise, Armageddon, Aliens) will executive produce. Gary Ventimiglia (Punisher: War Zone) will co-executive produce and Tom McLoughlin (Fab Five: The Texas Cheerleader Scandal) will direct the teleplay by Teena Booth (the upcoming Natalee Holloway, Sex and Lies in Sin City: The Ted Binion Scandal).
ABOUT THE CAST
Julia Ormond was born in England as the second of five children. She showed interest in acting at a young age and went on to pursue her passion as a drama student at London's Webber-Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art. Following graduation, she landed her first professional work in TV commercials and then a series of plays. Ormond won the London Drama Critic's Award in 1989 for her role in Faith, Hope and Charity. In 1994, she starred opposite Brad Pitt in Legends of the Fall, a breakout performance that grabbed Hollywood's attention. She was then cast in Audrey Hepburn's role in the remake of the classic film Sabrina, starring alongside screen icon Harrison Ford. Ormond has since starred in many notable films, most recently 2008's Academy Award(R) nominated motion picture The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
Mahershalalhashbaz Ali is best known for his portrayal of Richard Tyler on the USA Network series The 4400. Having been introduced to acting in college, Ali made his professional stage debut performing for one season with the California Shakespeare Festival. Soon afterwards, he was accepted to New York University, where he received a Masters degree in acting. Ali's first television role was on NBC's Crossing Jordan. He was later cast as a series regular on the ABC drama Threat Matrix. Additional television credits include CSI, NYPD Blue, The Haunted and The Handler. Among his feature film credits are The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Umi's Heart.
ABOUT SONY PICTURES TELEVISION
Sony Pictures Television is one of the television industry's leading content providers. It produces and distributes programming in every genre, including series, telefilms, theatrical releases and family entertainment for network and cable television, as well as first-run and off-network series for syndication and digital distribution. With more than 25 programs on the air, SPT boasts a program slate that includes the top-rated daytime dramas and game shows, landmark off-network series, original animated series and critically acclaimed primetime dramas, comedies and telefilms. SPT also owns one-half of cable channel GSN and is a partner in FEARnet, the premier horror/thriller website and VOD service. Sony Pictures Television oversees all of Sony Pictures Entertainment's (SPE) domestic digital distribution efforts across all electronically delivered platforms, including the internet and mobile and manages the studio's video website, Crackle. Sony Pictures Television, advertiser sales, is one of the premiere national advertising sales companies, handling the commercial inventory in SPT syndicated series as well as in all of SPE's digital businesses in the United States, for Sony Music Entertainment and for the Tennis Channel, and is part owner of national media sales company ITN Networks, Inc. SPT (www.sonypicturestelevision.com) is a Sony Pictures Entertainment company.
ABOUT LIFETIME MOVIE NETWORK
Lifetime Movie Network (LMN) is the #2 women's channel, behind only Lifetime Television. The Network, which just celebrated its 10th anniversary, is riding high, posting its highest-rated Third Quarter ever. LMN total day ratings among W18+ surpass Discovery, FX, TLC, Bravo, E!, Oxygen, WE, SoapNet and ABC Family. The August 2008 premiere of Little Girl Lost: The Delimar Vera Story became the second most-watched movie in the channel's history, following the April premiere of The Capture of the Green River Killer - the highest-rated movie in the history of Lifetime Movie Network.
Lifetime is the leader in women's television and one of the top-rated basic cable television networks. A diverse, multi-media company, Lifetime is committed to offering the highest quality entertainment and information programming, and advocating a wide range of issues affecting women and their families. Lifetime Television, Lifetime Movie Network, Lifetime Real Women and Lifetime Digital (including myLifetime.com) are part of Lifetime Entertainment Services, a 50/50 joint venture of Hearst Corporation and The Walt Disney Company.
