The makers of Gosnell, a crime drama about Philadelphia abortion doctor Kermit Gosnell who was convicted of murder, announced Nick Searcy will direct the film.
Searcy, who stars in the FX series, Justified, said he was both excited and humbled by the opportunity to direct Gosnell, according to an update from the movie's crowdfunding page.
The update also explained Searcy will focus on three important aspects of the story: what really happened in Philadelphia, why it was allowed to happen, and why it seemed like no one wanted to talk about it after it happened.
Gosnell ran an abortion clinic in West Philadelphia for decades. He was convicted in 2013 of first-degree murder in the deaths of three babies who were born alive before having their necks cut with scissors.
The former doctor was also charged with involuntary manslaughter in the overdose death of a patient, as well as 232 other counts related to abortion, conspiracy, and infanticide.
The film was originally pegged as a straight-to-TV movie, but because donations from thousands of contributors have exceeded expectations, it has now become a theatrical release.
Money for Gosnell was raised through Indiegogo, a popular crowdfunding site, where it took off quickly. The campaign reached its original goal in May of 2014, and now has over 27,000 backers who have contributed over $2.2 million. This ranks the film as the highest-grossing movie campaign on the site.
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The production company for the film, Ann and Phelim Media, announced on their page that they're still looking for another $500K to paying actors, cover production fees, locations, scheduling, and various other necessary endeavors.
For a more in-depth background on Gosnell and his story, check out this NBC10 article.
