Friday, March 29, 2024

Ben Stiller Will Direct Patricia Arquette, Benicio Del Toro in Prison Break Story– Which Just Aired on Lifetime

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The story of how Joyce Mitchell helped two crazy murderers escape from prison in 2015 is apparently good enough to be told twice.

Last month Penelope Ann Miller played Mitchell in Lifetime’s “New York Prison Break” with Joe Anderson and Myk Watford playing the killers.

Now Ben Stiller will direct an 8 episode version of Mitchell’s story for Showtime. This one is called “Escape at Clinton Correctional” and star two Oscar winners– Patty Arquette and Benicio del Toro. I actually knew this a month ago but held back before the i’s were dotted. And now, here it is. Stiller’s version will be more like “The Night Of,” artfully done, although they’re now saying Joyce will be called Tilly. Must be a rights thing.

What’s also interesting is that two brothers wrote both screenplays. Michael Tolkin, of “The Player” fame, worked on Stiller’s movie. Stephen Tolkin, Michael’s brother, wrote the Lifetime movie. The Tolkin brothers are the sons of the late television writer and legend, Mel Tolkin. Something about this story appealed to the Tolkin family!

Roger Friedman
Roger Friedmanhttps://www.showbiz411.com
Roger Friedman began his Showbiz411 column in April 2009 after 10 years with Fox News, where he created the Fox411 column. His movie reviews are carried by Rotten Tomatoes, and he is a member of both the movie and TV branches of the Critics Choice Awards. His articles have appeared in dozens of publications over the years including New York Magazine, where he wrote the Intelligencer column in the mid 90s and covered the OJ Simpson trial, and Fox News (when it wasn't so crazy) where he covered Michael Jackson. He is also the writer and co-producer of "Only the Strong Survive," a selection of the Cannes, Sundance, and Telluride Film festivals, directed by DA Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus.
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