Tom Pelphrey, Idina Menzel, Ryan Phillippe, Jacki Weaver to star in ‘American Murderer’ for Traveling Picture Show and GiGi Films

The Traveling Picture Show Company (TPSC) and GiGi Films announced today that Tom Pelphrey (“Ozark,” Mank) will star as con man Jason Derek Brown in American Murderer, alongside Ryan Phillippe (Crash, Breach, Gosford Park, Cruel Intentions) playing the FBI agent tasked to hunt him down, with Idina Menzel (Rent, Wicked, Frozen, Uncut Gems) and two-time Academy Award nominee Jacki Weaver (Silver Linings Playbook, Widows). Award-winning AFI alumnus Matthew Gentile wrote the script and will direct, with principal photography commencing in Salt Lake City. Kevin Matusow and Carissa Buffel will produce for TPSC alongside Gia Walsh and Kara Baker under the GiGi Films banner, in line with Utah state and SAG/AFTRA Covid-19 protocols.

American Murderer is based on the true story of Jason Derek Brown — a charismatic conman who bankrolls his luxurious lifestyle through a series of scams.  When his funds run low and his past catches up with him, he plots his most elaborate scheme yet and, in the process, becomes the FBI’s most unlikely — and elusive — top ten fugitive.  

Pelphrey, recently named one of Variety’s “10 Actors to Watch for 2020”, can currently be seen in David Fincher’s critically acclaimed, Mank, playing American director, screenwriter and producer Joseph Mankiewicz. Pelphrey also earned rave reviews for his outstanding performance as ‘Ben’ in season three of Netflix’s “Ozark”. Additional credits include Cinemax’s “Banshee” as well as the Netflix series “Iron Fist”. 

Phillippe is best known for his iconic role in Cruel Intentions as well as his role in the Academy Award-winning film Crash. Most recently, Phillippe can be seen in ABC’s new series “Big Sky” as well as the USA drama series “Shooter.” Up next, Phillippe stars opposite Melanie Lynskey and Judy Greer in Justin Long’s feature-directorial debut comedy Lady of the Manor. 

Idina Menzel is a Tony Award winner for her performance as Elphaba in Wicked and plays Elsa in the global blockbusters, Frozen and Frozen II. Her epic vocal performances earned “Let It Go” an Academy Award. She played opposite Adam Sandler in the Safdie Brothers’ Uncut Gems and stars opposite Camila Cabello as her Stepmother in the retelling of the Cinderella story to be released by Sony next year.

Academy Award nominee Jacki Weaver earned her Best Supporting Actress nominations for her performances in Animal Kingdom and Silver Linings Playbook. Recent projects include Penguin Bloom which premiered earlier this year at TIFF and Stage Mother which won Best of the Fest Audience Vote at the Palm Springs International Film Festival.

TPSC recently wrapped filming on the comedy Unplugging, which stars Golden Globe nominee Eva Longoria and two-time Emmy-nominated actor Matt Walsh, and produced Bryan Bertino’s The Dark and the Wicked, which is currently available on digital after releasing last month, and is certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.  GiGi Films’ latest film Zola, starring Taylour Paige and Riley Keough, written by Janicza Bravo and Jeremy O. Harris and directed by Bravo, premiered at Sundance this past year and is being released by A24.

Pelphrey is repped by The Gersh Agency and Brillstein Entertainment Partners. Phillippe is repped by The Gersh Agency and MGMT Entertainment. Menzel is repped by ICM Partners, Paradigm Talent Agency, and One Entertainment. Weaver is repped by ICM Partners and Elevate Entertainment.

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Erik Anderson

Erik Anderson is the founder/owner and Editor-in-Chief of AwardsWatch and has always loved all things Oscar, having watched the Academy Awards since he was in single digits; making lists, rankings and predictions throughout the show. This led him down the path to obsessing about awards. Much later, he found himself in film school and the film forums of GoldDerby, and then migrated over to the former Oscarwatch (now AwardsDaily), before breaking off to create AwardsWatch in 2013.

He is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, accredited by the Cannes Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and more, is a member of the International Cinephile Society (ICS), The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics (GALECA), Hollywood Critics Association (HCA) and the International Press Academy. Among his many achieved goals with AwardsWatch, he has given a platform to underrepresented writers and critics and supplied them with access to film festivals and the industry and calls the Bay Area his home where he lives with his husband and son.

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