COLIN FIRTH: In West Memphis Three film.

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  • COLIN FIRTH: In West Memphis Three film.

‘Tis a long way from the great houses of Britain to the trailer parks of West Memphis, Ark.

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But get ready for an actor to make the transition. Colin Firth has been confirmed to play the role of Ron Lax, a private investigator, in “Devil’s Knot,” the movie treatment of Mara Leveritt’s book on the West Memphis Three case. Lax, originally from Memphis, worked on the case for more than a decade and is credited with breakthroughs in the case, including DNA found in physical evidence linked to the stepfather of one of the three children slain in 1993. The search for DNA in evidence turned up none linked to the three men convicted of the crimes. A long way for Firth from Mr. Darcy and King George VI.

It had been announced earlier that Reese Witherspoon was expected to play the role of Pam Hobbs, mother of one of the children. Her views on who was responsible for the killings changed dramatically over the years, from initial belief in the guilt of those convicted. The movie is expected to be a “dramatized” version of events.

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