Jaime King and John Hawkes in The Pardon

Sundance might be over but that doesn’t stop the acquisition train from rolling. The latest on board is the crime drama The Pardon staring Jaime King (Sin City) and John Hawkes (The Sessions), which has been acquired for North American distribution by Monterey Media.

The Pardon tells the true story of Toni Jo Henry (King), a 1940s Louisiana woman who tried to free her husband (Jason Lewis) from prison with the help of his buddy (Hawkes). Their plan results in a contested murder for which she is tried. Henry was a celebrity in her time, having been tried three times until she was eventually executed.

Jason Lewis in The Pardon

The movie was co-written and directed by the relatively unknown Tom Anton, whose only other credit is the romantic drama At Last from 2005. This is his biggest movie to date. John Hawkes has made quite a name for himself in crime films, having played a local crime boss in Winter’s Bone (2010), which earned him an Academy Award nomination. Jaime King also has a similar history in the genre, with both Sin City (2005, 2014) films and The Spirit (2008). This will be one of her more prominent roles, as opposed to the supporting turns she had in those movies. She also has a role in the upcoming action comedy Barely Lethal. Hawkes will be seen later this year in Everest. You can watch an extended trailer for The Pardon below.