The U.S. theatrical premiere of Devil's Knot will be at the Ron Robinson Theater in Little Rock, Central Arkansas Library System said Monday.
The film is based on the book of the same name by Mara Leveritt that explored the murders of the three young boys in West Memphis and the subsequent convictions of teenagers Damien Echols, Jessie Misskelley and Jason Baldwin in the killings.
Misskelley and Baldwin were sentenced to life in prison and Echols to death, but all three were released in 2011 after 17 years in prison in a rare legal maneuver in which they dropped ongoing appeals and pleaded guilty while maintaining their innocence. The case, which was also chronicled in the HBO documentary Paradise Lost and two sequels, has drawn worldwide attention with a number of celebrities supporting efforts to free and exonerate Baldwin, Misskelley and Echols.
The library system, which runs the Ron Robinson Theater, said guests at the May 3 premiere would include Leveritt, who's a contributing editor to the Arkansas Times; the film's director, Atom Egoyan; and "several cast members." A library spokesman said it wasn't yet determined which cast members would attend. The film stars Reese Witherspoon, Colin Firth, Stephen Moyer, Dane DeHaan, Alessandro Nivola and Amy Ryan.
Tickets to the 6:30 p.m. premiere cost $35 and are available online.