Pretty Boy Floyd Biopic Cast Includes Emile Hirsch, Thomas Jane, Harvey Keitel, and More
Vertical Entertainment is developing a Pretty Boy Floyd biopic titled Good Side of a Bad Man, and it’s just starting production in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The news comes with the announcement of the cast, which is great!
The film stars Emile Hirsch (Into the Wild), who is taking on the role of legendary bank robber Charles “Pretty Boy” Floyd; Thomas Jane (Punisher, The Misy) as FBI Detective Melvin Purvis; Harvey Keitel (Reservoir Dogs) as Floyd’s dad Walter; Ashley Benson (Spring Breakers) as Floyd’s wife Ruby; Shawn Hatosy (Animal Kingdom) as Floyd’s older brother Bradley; Lera Abova (Peacock’s upcoming Pitch Perfect series) and Oliver Cooper (Echo Boomers).
Good Side of a Bad Man will tell the true story of Floyd, “a poor midwestern farm boy who grew up to become one of the most notorious criminals of the Depression era. Labeled as a deadly crook and danger to society, the film will see the FBI assign storied agent Melvin Purvis to lead the manhunt to take down Floyd, who in the eyes of his wife Ruby and the farmers plagued by extreme poverty, is their very own Robin Hood, stealing from the rich and sharing with the long-suffering community he was raised in.”
K. Asher Levin is directing and producing the film and he previously worked with Hirsch and Jane on the film Dig. The screenplay comes from Charlie Glass, who also serves as executive producer.
Levin said in a statement: “This will be a gangster film like no other because Charles Floyd was one of a kind. His story isn’t just timeless, it speaks to a lot of folks in an America still struggling today, desperate to find a way out. I can’t wait to collaborate with the cast and crew to create iconic characters, breathless action, stunning visuals, and addictively re-watchable scenes. As a massive fan of crime films, from Howard Hawks to Martin Scorsese to Michael Mann, this project is a dream come true.”
Renegade Entertainment’s Thomas Jane and Courtney Lauren Penn said: “Melvin Purvis was the original G-Man, bringing down the gangsters John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson and Pretty Boy Floyd. J. Edgar Hoover groomed Purvis to be the face of the newly formed FBI, and then crushed him for it. We look forward to exploring the complex relationship between crime, mass media and government control that have their roots in 1930’s America.”
Vertical Entertainment’s SVP of Co-Productions & Development Kristin Harris stated: “We have a great track record in this genre (Capone, Lansky) and are thrilled to be involved from the very beginning, continuing to build on Vertical’s expansion strategy into production and production financing. We are excited to work with K. Asher Levin and the entire filmmaking team to bring this exciting story to life.”
Does this sound like a film you’d be interested in watching!?