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!
