Sundance Winner Marc Silver To Direct ‘Molly Vs The Machines’ About Tragic Death Of British Teen Molly Russell Following Exposure To Harmful Online Content
16.11.2023 - 14:01
/ deadline.com
EXCLUSIVE: Sundance winner Marc Silver, known for documentaries 3 1/2 Minutes, Ten Bullets and Who Is Dayani Cristal?, is set to chronicle the story of British teen Molly Russell, who died from an act of self-harm while suffering depression and the negative effects of online content.
Molly Vs The Machines, from UK companies Snowstorm Productions and Storyboard Studios, with backing from Luminate, Bertha Doc Society, Screen Scotland, The Filmmaker Fund and Ethical Alliance, is due to start production next spring.
Two-time Sundance winner and Emmy-nominee Marc Silver will make the film in collaboration with Shoshana Zuboff, Harvard professor and author of The Age of Surveillance Capitalism.
Russell was tragically found dead in the bedroom of her London family home on the morning of 21st November 2017. Neither her family, friends or teachers could initially explain why she had taken her own life. Over five traumatic years, Ian Russell, Molly’s father, and lawyer Merry Varney, worked to uncover how the negative effects of online content had led to her death.
A UK coroner last year concluded that the images of self-harm and suicide Russell viewed “shouldn’t have been available for a child to see”. The case sparked national headlines and led to Prince William calling for more online safety measures. The UK government has subsequently introduced new legislation regarding online safety, which remains a key issue for families and governments globally amid the rise and rise of social media and online sharing platforms.
The filmmakers are working closely with the Russell family.
Kat Mansoor is producing for Snowstorm, and Natalie Humphreys for Storyboard, with Minette Nelson attached as executive producer. The team also