On November 14, 1997, 14-year-old Reena Virk was invited to hang out with a group of other teenagers under the Craigflower Bridge in Saanich, British Columbia, Canada. There, she was beaten and kicked by a mob of six bullies before being drowned in the river. It became a national tragedy, highlighting the potential fatal consequences of bullying.
A few years later, writer Rebecca Godfrey went to investigate the crime, ultimately resulting in a book called Under the Bridge, which is finally getting made into a series by Hulu after years in development hell. According to Deadline, Riley Keough will executive produce and star as Godfrey as a modern-day Truman Capote figure embedding herself into the world of the accused killers. Keough is partnering again with Gina Gammell after co-directing War Pony and earning the Camera d’Or, Cannes‘ prize for debut filmmaking. Quinn Shephard (Not Okay) wrote the script and will executive produce, and Geeta Patel (Meet the Patels) is set to direct.
Godfrey’s book was optioned by Reese Witherspoon’s production company back in 2007. Godfrey died earlier this year, and will be credited as an executive producer after collaborating with Shephard for several years on the screenplay.
It’s a sensitive tragedy swimming in a genre where the incentives for sensationalism tend to outweigh respecting victims and their families. Hopefully, this is the team to get the balance right. Production starts this month, so we should see Under the Bridge on Hulu next year.
(via Deadline)