Reese Witherspoon’s often been one to mix it up with the roles she takes, demonstrating her acting talent in both dramas and comedies. Coming soon, the Oscar winner will be seen in the McG action-comedy This Means War, which has her playing a woman being fought over by two best-friend CIA operatives. And now she’s signed on to play a role in a drama based on a true story, that’s likely to have a much darker tone.

According to Variety, Witherspoon is set to star in Atom Egoyan’s Devil’s Knot, which is based on Reporter Mara Leveritt’s book “Devil’s Knot: The True Story of the West Memphis Three.” The book follows the trials of Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley Jr., three men who were convicted as teenagers for the brutal killings of three 8-year-old boys in West Memphis, Arkansas. They served 18 years in prison before being released last August.


Witherspoon is set to play Pam Hobbs, the mother of one of the victims. While Hobbs originally believed these three teens were responsible for her son’s death, she later thought otherwise after more evidence came to light. Per the Reporter, the film is set to begin production this spring, but Variety mentions summer. So far, it looks like Witherspoon is the first bit of casting news that’s been announced for the film. It’ll be interesting to see if any other notable names board the project.