Tom McCarthy to helm Church sex abuse drama for DreamWorks

PanARMENIAN.Net - Tom McCarthy will direct and co-write a new drama that pulls back the curtain on one of the most painful chapters in the Catholic Church's history, TheWrap said.

DreamWorks Studios and Participant Media have acquired the feature film rights to the story of the church's decades-long cover-up of the string of sexual abuse and damaged lives caused by pedophile priests in Massachusetts. The scandal was uncovered by a year-long investigation by the Boston Globe and eventually led to the resignation of Cardinal Bernard Law.

The examination of institutional malfeasance is a change of pace for McCarthy who first gained critical attention for his intimate character studies in films that focused on people on the periphery of society such as "The Station Agent" and "The Visitor." Josh Singer ("The West Wing") will co-write the script. Anonymous Content's Michael Sugar and Steve Golin and Rocklin/Faust's Nicole Rocklin and Blye Faust will produce. David Mizner, who originally brought the project to the producers, will serve as a consultant and associate producer. King and Jeff Skoll will serve as executive producers.

Life rights have been acquired to the Boston Globe's "Spotlight Team" of reporters and editors, including then-Globe editor Marty Baron, special projects editor Ben Bradlee Jr., Spotlight Team editor Walter "Robby" Robinson and reporters Michael Rezendes, Sacha Pfeiffer, and Matt Carroll. The team investigation uncovered attempts to obfuscate the truth that extended all the way up to the upper echelons of the Catholic Church's leadership.