Michael C. Sala (Right) AND Grace Caroline Currey (Fall) has signed on to star in the upcoming true crime film The boss. The film is based on the mass suicide of the religious cult known as Heaven’s Gate, which occurred in 1997. The actors join the previous cast Vera Farmiga (The evocation), Tim Blake Nelson (Captain America: Brave New World) AND Simone Rex (Red Rocket).
The film is directed by Michael Gallagher (The thinning) from a screenplay he wrote. The Leader will tell the tragic true story of the “39 members of the UFO cult known as Heaven’s Gate who committed the largest mass suicide ever on American soil. The film follows Nettles (Farmiga) and Applewhite (Nelson) as they develop religion, build a devoted following, and face unexpected conflicts when the spaceship fails to arrive.
Hall will take on the role of a key devotee: “a wealthy drug addict who attempts to gain Applewhite’s favor by financially supporting the cult with his trust fund.” Currey will play the “Oregon-based boutique owner who abandons society in the late 1970s to join the cult, leaving her family and boyfriend behind.”
Currey said in a statement: “I was moved by Michael Gallagher’s sincerity and care in handling such a weighty topic. I couldn’t shake the story after reading his script. I hope to bring as much heart and humanity to my piece as possible in this project.
Producer Nat McCormick added: “Michael C. Hall and Grace Caroline Currey are solidifying the marketing of an already highly anticipated and strong film.”
The Heaven’s Gate cult was an infamous religious group that attracted worldwide attention in 1997 when 39 of its members were discovered to have committed mass suicide in a mansion located in Rancho Santa Fe, California. The group was led by Marshall Applewhite and Bonnie Nettles, and the religion combined elements of Christianity, science fiction, and New Age spirituality. They claimed that a spaceship, hidden behind comet Hale-Bopp, would come to Earth to transport them to a higher level of existence and that they would have to shed their physical bodies to be ready for this journey.
In March 1997, members of Heaven’s Gate took their own lives in a carefully orchestrated event, in which each person ingested a lethal dose of barbiturates and applesauce, and then tied a plastic bag around their head to induce asphyxiation . They wore trainers and matching black and white Nike tracksuits, and their bodies were discovered in neat rows inside a mansion.
The mass suicide was devastating and I remember seeing footage of it on the news when I was little. It was quite shocking.
Source: deadline
by Joey Paur
Source: Geek Tyrant
Lloyd Grunewald is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. He is a talented writer who focuses on bringing the latest entertainment-related news to his readers. With a deep understanding of the entertainment industry and a passion for writing, Lloyd delivers engaging articles that keep his readers informed and entertained.
