‘Roe v. Wade’ Movie Gets Financing (EXCLUSIVE)
By Dave McNary
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – BCL Finance Group, a fund headed by Adi Cohen, Michael Bassick and Michael Laundon, has signed a deal to complete the financing of political legal drama “Roe v. Wade.”
The film finished shooting in July. BCL Finance made the announcement on Tuesday, with U.S. Senate beginning confirmation hearings on the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. Kavanaugh’s views on abortion are expected to be a major component of those hearings.
BCL Finance said it anticipates a wide U.S. release in winter. The company said “Roe v. Wade” is the “untold” story of the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision that found that a right to privacy under the Due Process Clause of the 14th Amendment extended to a woman’s decision to have an abortion.
The film stars Jon Voight as Chief Justice Warren Burger, Robert Davi as Justice William Brennan, Stacey Dash as National Right to Life president Mildred Mildred Jefferson, Jamie Kennedy as Lawrence Lader, Joey Lawrence as Robert Byrn, Steve Guttenberg, Greer Grammer as attorney Sarah Weddington and William Forsythe as Justice Potter Stewart. Voight, Dash, and Davi have often expressed conservative political views in recent years.
Cathy Allyn and Nick Loeb produced, directed and wrote “Roe v. Wade.” Alveda King is the executive producer. Loeb has emphasized in interviews that the movie portrays both sides of the abortion argument.
“It’s a social war movie — the battle between the women’s movement and the pro-life movement,” the announcement said.
BCL also said, “As a financier of films, BCL does not take a political or activist stance in projects it considers financing. From a business standpoint, the economics of BCL’s investment in this film fall within the company’s investment guidelines and it is on that basis under which BCL have agreed to provide financing. As with any film BCL is involved with, the statements and actions of the film, the talent, the director, the producer’s and anyone involved with the film are not necessarily reflective of beliefs of the company and/or its principals.”
“There are a numerous films focused on this divisive issue, as well as many others, and BCL welcomes the opportunity to discuss financing possibilities with all projects on an equal opportunity basis,” the statement concluded.
New York-based completed a deal last year to finance post-production and co-produce the Vietnam drama “The Last Full Measure,” starring Jeremy Irvine, with writer-director Todd Robinson.
Cohen’s projects include “The Last Full Measure” and “Shore Leave.” “Hacksaw Ridge,” “American Made,” “Snowden,” and “Under the Silver Lake” are among Bassick’s films. Laundon, co-founder of online retailer World of Books, has been backing “Tell Me Why I Don’t Like Mondays” for 18 years and is in production on the documentary “Shore Leave.”
