Huluhas released the first image of Keira Knightley (Pirates of the Caribbean,Atonement) and Carrie Coon (The Gilded Age,Fargo) as investigating journalists in the upcoming serial killer thrillerBoston Stranglerdue out this spring.
TheHulufilm, based on the true life story of a string of murders in the early 1960s in the Boston Area, stars Knightley and Coon as Loretta McLaughlin and Jean Cole, two investigative reporters for theRecord Americanwho coined the killer’s famous name and helped bring the primary suspect, Albert DeSalvo, to justice. Depicting one of the most famous murder sprees of the 20th century,Boston Stranglerwas written and directed by Matt Ruskin (Crown Heights) and produced by Ridley Scott for 20th Century Studios. Thefilm also starsDavid Dastmalchian(The Suicide Squad, Dune), Chris Cooper, andAlessandro Nivola.
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Empirehas shared the first image from the anticipated film, depicting Knightley and Coon poring over letters in the office and granting viewers a look at the sets and 1960s costumes in the film’s portrayal of this mid-century crime. “Based on the infamous Boston Strangler murders, this is the true story of Loretta McLaughlin (Knightley), the first reporter to connect the murders and break the story of the Strangler," reads Hulu’s synopsis. “She and fellow reporter Jean Cole challenged the sexism of the early 1960s to report on the city’s most notorious serial killer and worked tirelessly to keep women informed.”
“Having grown up in Boston, I had always heard of the Strangler in a very abstract sense, but I didn’t really know anything about the details of the case and a few years ago, I started reading about it and discovered a really fascinating, layered serial killer story,” Ruskin said of the story. “I discovered these two journalists, starting with Loretta McLaughlin, the first journalist to connect the murders, and in her reporting, she actually gave the Boston Strangler his name.” Ruskin continues by saying, “It was a really monumental story for her in her career in the early 1960s. She was a very ambitious reporter in a male-dominated field and this was a real turning point for her.”
While details are still lacking on what else to expect fromBoston Strangler, the intriguing story on which it is based and themultiple conspiracy theoriesabout the famous string of murders will rake in those interested in true crime and mid-century period pieces. The intricacies of the case, still mired in controversy and speculation about additional killers even 60 years later, will be backed by expected strong performances by Knightley and Coons, both actresses with great potential to portray journalistic and feminist role models that the film presents.
