Ami Canaan Mann To Direct Biopic ‘Audrey’s Children’ On Healthcare Hero, Ronald McDonald House Charities Co-Founder Dr. Audrey Evans

Matt Grobar
·5 min read
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EXCLUSIVE: Ami Canaan Mann (Texas Killing Fields) is gearing up to direct the biopic Audrey’s Children for Amasia Entertainment (Wild Mountain Thyme) and Resonate Entertainment (Sitting in Bars with Cake).

The film will tell the story of Dr. Audrey Evans, the revolutionary pediatric oncologist best known as the co-founder of Ronald McDonald House Charities—the world-famous organization that provides housing and support to millions of families in 62 countries around the world. A rebel with a cause, Evans burst onto the scene at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in 1970, discovering groundbreaking treatment methods for pediatric cancer. She then put her own career on the line, in a bid to administer her new methods to dire patients, and to provide housing for out-of-town families seeking care, going to extreme lengths to save her children.

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Julia Fisher Farbman (Modern Hero) wrote the screenplay, which was based on years of research and conversations with Evans, who is now 97 years old and supports the film. (She first connected with the oncologist while profiling her for the Amazon series Modern Hero, seeing the feature on Evans amass 17 million views across platforms.) Farbman will also produce alongside Amasia Entertainment’s Bradley Gallo and Michael Helfant. Brent Emery (The Stanford Prison Experiment), Suzanne Farwell (The Intern) and Susan Cartsonis (What Women Want) will executive produce for Resonate Entertainment, with Clément Bauer (Feel the Beat) serving as co-producer. Casting is now underway, with production expected to kick off in Philadelphia in August.

“It is such an honor to help tell the story of this incredible pioneer, a legend and personification of the truism that tenacity, good will and grace can move mountains, if we let it,” said Mann. “Thousands of children continue to benefit from the advancements Audrey fought for in children’s oncology. Our team feels great privilege in the opportunity to shine a light on the life of the woman behind that work.”

“The hurdles that Dr. Evans had to jump over to effect change in a male-dominated field in 1970 were astounding. Ami’s singular vision for Audrey’s Children pays homage to Dr. Evans’ tireless efforts to fight for a new standard of care for cancer patients,” said Gallo. “Michael and I are so honored to be telling Dr. Evans’ story – and the story of her brave young patients – with this remarkable team.”

“Celebrating a healthcare hero as accomplished as Dr. Evans through a female-led biopic is more important now, in today’s climate, than ever before,” said the team at Resonate Entertainment in a joint statement. “We’re thrilled to work with these talented filmmakers to tell Dr. Evans’ incredible story, continuing her legacy by inspiring future generations.”

“Audrey is a hero whose impact spans generations and continents, yet most people have never heard of her,” noted Farbman. “We are determined to change that through celebrating Audrey’s legacy on screen and honoring the children and families whose lives she has impacted.”

“If by any chance you have a child that either is born with cancer or gets cancer, you probably will feel the word cancer will nearly kill you. You’ll think what worse could happen to my child?” added Dr. Evans in closing. “And if you see this movie, do remember that it’s not the end.”

Mann previously helmed the drama Texas Killing Fields, starring Sam Worthington, Jessica Chastain, Chloe Moretz and Jeffrey Dean Morgan which was nominated for the Golden Lion at the 68th Venice Film Festival; the family film Jackie & Ryan, starring Katherine Heigl and Ben Barnes, which was nominated for the Venice Horizons Award at the 71st Venice International Film Festival; and the drama Morning, for which she was awarded Best Directorial Debut at the Rhode Island International Film Festival. She also directed the first two episodes and exec produced the pilot of Netflix’s In from the Cold, and helmed the Friday Night Lights episode “I Can’t,” which was awarded a Television Academy Honors Award for Television with a Conscience. Additional TV credits include Netflix’s House of Cards, USA Network’s Queen of the South, Freeform’s Cloak & Dagger, Fox’s Shots Fired and Amazon’s Sneaky Pete.

Farbman recently produced the Emmy-nominated ABC/U.N. Women special, Celebrate Equality: The Future of Women’s Rights. She also co-created, hosted and executive produced Amazon’s Modern Hero, which featured additional interviews with former First Lady Michelle Obama and others.

Amasia is also producing the upcoming Universal tentpole The Green Hornet and Kato, written by David Koepp. The company most recently produced John Patrick Shanley’s Irish romance Wild Mountain Thyme, starring Emily Blunt, Jamie Dornan, Jon Hamm, and Christopher Walken. Additional credits include the Sundance thriller Them That Follow, starring Olivia Colman, Walton Goggins, Kaitlyn Dever, Alice Englert, Jim Gaffigan, Lewis Pullman, and Thomas Mann; Mr. Right, starring Sam Rockwell and Anna Kendrick; and The Call, starring Halle Berry.

Other upcoming projects from Resonate Entertainment include the Amazon dramedy Sitting in Bars with Cake, starring Yara Shahidi; Cowgirl’s Last Ride, starring Geena Davis; and the soon-to-be-released films True Spirit and Z-O-M-B-I-E-S 3 for Netflix and Disney, respectively.

Mann is represented by Paradigm and Mosaic.

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