Charlotte Kirk Is Nicole Brown Simpson In O.J. Simpson Biopic, 'An American Mystery'

Those of a certain age probably remember exactly where they were on October 3rd 1995, the day O.J. Simpson was acquitted for the murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman. It was one of those cultural touchstone moments, and the sharply divided reaction to the verdict sparked a discussion on race in this country that continues to this day. The murder and the trial have been examined in just about every way imaginable over the last eighteen years, but now we're getting one more look at it in what is guaranteed to be a controversial new biopic.

A report over at The Wrap reveals that writer/director Joshua Newton (Iron Cross) is developing An American Mystery, a film that will take a "fair and balanced" look at the entire O.J. Simpson saga. Somebody ought to tell The Wrap that "fair and balanced" has a negative connotation nowadays. Anyway, the big budget $65M(!!!!) project will star Charlotte Kirk (Non-Stop) as Brown Simpson, and follow her relationship with O.J. from the time she met him as a teenager in 1977 to their marriage in 1985 to her untimely death in 1994.

The plan is to have the film ready by next summer's 20th anniversay of the killings, and if that doesn't sound disgusting enough, Newton is trying to drum up interest by claiming to have discovered "startling new evidence" that suggests other suspects with the motive and opportunity to commit the murders. Celebrities from the sports and political worlds are backing the film as producers, and Newton says he even turned down assistance from O.J. who wanted to get in on it when he learned of the project's existence...

Newton: "'An American Mystery' has the capacity to challenge entrenched attitudes on a topic that has inspired visceral reactions for almost a generation. While we are creating an artistic work, the essence of the film is the search for truth. It was easy to determine that OJ's participation is not consistent with our standards. Our goal is to lay bare the facts and have the audience reach their own conclusions." 

 There's no denying that Kirk bears a resemblance to Brown Simpson, and this could be a career changing role if the film turns out to be any good at all. The trial was a media circus, with white Broncos, Johnny Cochran, Kato Kaelin, and Judge Lance friggin' Ito all soaking up their fifteen minutes of glory. This movie promises to stir up that hornets nest all over again. Once they find someone to actually play O.J., it'll be interesting to see if audiences are interested in a film that doesn't peg him as guilty.