The notorious “Co-Ed Killer” is coming to the screen.
Filmmaker Chad Ferrin, whose credits include H.P. LOVECRAFT’S THE OLD ONES and THE DEEP ONES, the fictitious serial-murderer films NIGHT CALLER and SCALPER and the fact-based one PIG KILLER, gave us the scoop that he’s gearing up for another true-crime-inspired shocker. He’ll direct ED KEMPER from a screenplay by Stephen Johnston, who scripted several such movies in the early 2000s: ED GEIN, TED BUNDY, THE HILLSIDE STRANGLER and STARKWEATHER. The new project charts the saga of Edmund Kemper, who murdered his grandparents at age 15 and, after being paroled for that crime, killed seven young women in 1972 and 1973; he was previously portrayed by Cameron Britton in the first season of Netflix’s MINDHUNTER.
“After PIG KILLER,” Ferrin tells us, “I was looking for another true crime film to tackle. Out of the blue a producer friend, Michael Muscal, sent me Stephen’s ED KEMPER script. It was fantastic, so I nabbed the rights. I did a pass to mold it better to our limited budget as well as add a little more meat to the dysfunctional mother-and-son relationship–something that personally hits home for me. I then sent it to [previous collaborators] Susan Priver, Jeff Olan and Robert Miano, they dug it as much as I did and we’re off and running, with an eye on a June 2024 shoot.”
Ferrin is making an open call for an actor to portray the title role: “Jeff Olan is casting, so if there are any tall [Kemper was 6-foot-9], 20-to-30-year-old potential Ed Kempers out there who want to dive into one of the most extreme roles imaginable, they can send their info to: Jocsubmissions@gmail.com with RUE KEMPER in the subject line.” We’ll keep you posted on the final selection!
