With Reese Witherspoon producing, Marc Webb is set to direct This Above All, based on the true-life story of Megan Phelps-Roper, a prominent member turned defector of the controversial Westboro Baptist Church, a notorious hate group that has protested the funerals of those they deem sinful. As the granddaughter of Fred Phelps, the founder of the Westboro Baptist Church, Phelps-Roper was a staunch believer until she was exposed to differing opinions on the internet. In 2012, she and her sister decided to leave the church, suffering disownment from her family. Since her departure, Phelps-Roper has shifted from espousing hate to calling for unity.
The film is based on Adrian Chen’s New Yorker article entitled “Conversion via Twitter” and Phelps-Roper’s soon-to-be-published memoir.
Webb previously helmed 500 Days of Summer and the two Amazing Spider-Man films. With a script penned by Nick Hornby (Wild, An Education, Brooklyn) and produced by Witherspoon (producer of Wild and Gone Girl), the film is sure to make waves. In recent years, Witherspoon has distanced herself from her Legally Blonde image, and instead fully shifted into Oscar territory.
It’s currently unclear who will star as Phelps-Roper.
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