The Crown star Matt Smith to play psychopathic serial killer Charles Manson in new drama Charlie Says
Matt Smith is set to play psychopathic serial killer Charles Manson in a new film focusing on the female Manson family members,
The Crown Star, 35, will transform into the sadistic hippie cult leader for drama Charlie Says, the new feature from American Psycho director Mary Harron, reports The Hollywood Reporter.
Manson was behind bars for more than four decades, since 1969, after he ordered members of his cult - which he dubbed 'the family' - to go on a murderous two-day rampage.
Evil new role: Matt Smith is set to play psychopathic serial killer and cult leader Charles Manson in a new film focusing on the female Manson family members
Transformation: The Crown Star, 35, will transform into the sadistic hippie cult leader (R) for drama Charlie Says, the new feature from American Psycho director Mary Harron, reports The Hollywood Reporter
Four of his followers, Tex Watson, Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel and Leslie Van Houten, killed seven people: pregnant actress Sharon Tate, Abigail Folger, Wojciech Frykowski, Leno and Rosemary LaBianca, Steven Parent and Jay Sebring.
Charlie Says will tell the tale of the three women that were sentenced to death in the Manson murders - Atkins, Krenwinkel and Van Houten- played by Hannah Murray, Odessa Young and Marianne Rendon.
When their death penalties were lifted, student Karlene Faith went into the prison to teach them, with the film following their journey as they face up to their horrifying crimes
Burberry model and actress Suki Waterhouse, 26, will also join the line-up.
Monster: Manson was behind bars for more than four decades, since 1969, after he ordered members of his cult - which he dubbed 'the family' - to go on a murderous two-day rampage (pictured in 1969)
Murderers: Charlie Says will tell the tale of the three women that were sentenced to death in the Manson murders - Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel and Leslie Van Houten
Challenging role: Marianne Rendon will play one of Manson's female killers in the film
Leading ladies: Skins star Hannah Murray (L) and Odessa Young will play the women sentenced to death for the Manson family murders
The film from American Psycho director Mary Harron and writing partner Guinevere Turner is based on material from Ed Sanders’ 1971 book The Family, along with the 2001 book The Long Prison Journey of Leslie Van Houten, written by Faith.
Faith was a firm supporter of Van Houten until her death last year
Director Mary Harrin said the Charlie Says team had found the ultimate cast to tell the horriying tale, saying 'Guinevere Turner’s script brings a fresh and unique perspective to the infamous story of the Manson murders and we have now found the perfect cast to bring it to life.
Manson died of natural causes at the age of 83 on November 19, 2017, after serving nearly 50 years in prison.
Line-up : Burberry model and actress Suki Waterhouse, 26, will also join the line-up (pictured in NYC on Tuesday)
Ensemble: Nurse Jackie star Merritt Weaver will also form part of the cast for Charlie Says
The brutal and sadistic crimes perpetrated by members of the 'Manson family' on his order shocked and horrified the nation.
Sharon Tate was a rising star of the film world who was murdered by Manson family members Tex Watson, Susan Atkins and Patricia Krenwinkel when she was 8 and a half months pregnant in 1969 .
Manson had ordered his family members to slaughter 26-year-old Tate, and three of her friends at her home above Beverly Hills.
Despite the actress pleading for her life and that of her unborn son's the evil killers showed her no remorse and she was stabbed 16 times.
Architect of evil: When their death penalties were lifted, student Karlene Faith went into the prison to teach the women, with the film following their journey as they face up to their horrifying crimes (above Manson in 2009)
Susan Atkins said she told Sharon as she begged for her life, 'woman, I have no mercy for you' before stabbing her in the stomach.
Stephen Parent was a fifth unfortunate victim that night. The 18-year-old had driven to the property to see if caretaker William Garreston wanted to buy his AM/FM Clock radio, and had stayed on for a beer at the guest house.
Watson aimed a 22-caliber revolver at him when he wound down the window at the electric gate as he left as the youth begged him not to shoot.
The murderer then lunged at Stephen with a knife before shooting him four times.
Heartbreak: Sharon Tate was a rising star of the film world who was murdered by Manson family members Tex Watson, Susan Atkins and Patricia Krenwinkel when she was 8 and a half months pregnant in 1969
Vile crime: Despite the actress pleading for her life and that of her unborn son's the evil killers showed her no remorse and she was stabbed 16 times (pictured with husband Roman Polanski two years before the murders)
Victims: (L-R) Wojciech Frykowski, Sharon Tate, Stephen Parent, Jay Sebring and Abigail Folger were slaughtered by the Manson family on August 8-9, 1969
Remorseless: Susan Atkins said she told Sharon as she begged for her life, 'woman, I have no mercy for you' before stabbing her in the stomach
Cold blooded killer: Tex Watson was convicted and sentenced to death (later commuted to life imprisonment) for participating in the Tate and LaBianca murders
Manson family member Linda Kasabian was also present on the night of the Tate murders but was found to have had no involvement in the actual killings and was granted immunity in return for her prosecution testimony
Following Manson’s instructions to leave a ‘witchy’ sign that might implicate the Black Panthers, one of his female assassins wrote ‘Pig’ in Tate’s blood on the front door.
The following night the Family butchered small business owners Leno and Rosemary La Bianca, in their home in Los Angeles.
After Manson tied them up and left, they, too, were frenziedly stabbed to death. Their murderers wrote ‘Kill the Pigs’ in blood on a wall, and even carved ‘War’ on Leno LaBianca’s torso.
Testimony: Manson family member Linda Kasabian was also present on the night of the Tate murders but was found to have had no involvement in the actual killings and was granted immunity in return for her prosecution testimony
The murders were carried out in upscale, mostly white neighborhoods of Los Angeles in order to blame the crimes on African Americans, in the hope of sparking what he termed a 'Helter Skelter' race war.
Manson was also later convicted of the slayings of musician Gary Hinman and stuntman Donald 'Shorty' Shea.
During the trial he was convicted of leading a cult in which disaffected young people living in a commune followed his orders and were ultimately turned into killers.
In the end, Manson was convicted of nine counts of murder (including two men who were killed separately) and sentenced to death. However, California ended capital punishment a year later, at which point his sentence was commuted to life.
Psychopathic: In the end, Manson was convicted of nine counts of murder (including two men who were killed separately) and sentenced to death. However, California ended capital punishment a year later, at which point his sentence was commuted to life
Susan Atkins, 21, Patricia Krenwinkel, 21 and Leslie Van Houten, 19, were all convicted in the murders and sentenced to death. This was later commuted to life imprisonment when the state of California ended capital punishment.
Atkins, known as 'Sexy Sadie' who was 21 when she participated in the murder spree was convicted on eight counts of murder (including the killing of Gary Hinman) and sentenced to death.
Her requests for parole were denied 17 times and she died of brain cancer in 2009, aged 61.
Krenwinkel was convicted on seven counts of murder and has been imprisoned for 47 years
Now 70, she has been denied parole 14 times.Van Houten was convicted and sentenced to death for the LaBianca murders. However in 1972, her sentence was commuted to life in prison and her conviction overturned in 1976. She was granted a retrial with this ending in a mistrial.
At her third trial in 1978 she was convicted of two counts of murder and one count of conspiracy and sentenced to 7 years to life in prison
Now aged 68, her requests for parole have been denied 22 times, the most recent of which came in January 2018.
No remorse: Manson died of natural causes at the age of 83 on November 19, 2017, after serving nearly 50 years in prison
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