James McAvoy And Robin Wright Penn Join Robert Redford's 'The Conspirator'
Variety reports that Robert Redford will direct actors James McAvoy and Robin Wright Penn in "The Conspirator," the American Film Company-produced period piece that focuses on the aftermath of President Lincoln's assassination.
In the movie, McAvoy will play Frederick Aiken, an idealistic young war hero who comes to the defense of Mary Surratt (Wright Penn), the lone female member of a group accused of conspiring to kill the president. Skeptical of Surratt at first, Aiken eventually becomes convinced of the woman's innocence.
The Redford-directed film is based on a true story, which American Film Company's Joe Rickets described to Variety as "more compelling than fiction... Mary Surratt's trial is a powerful, relevant story."