Katherine Heigl to star in 'Escape'
Actress will also produce Jessop adaptation

Katherine Heigl will star in and produce the feature film adaptation of "Escape," the bestselling memoir of Carolyn Jessop, whose testimony helped convict polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs. Relevant Entertainment and Como Court Prods. acquired the book. Michael Menchel and Cat Williams will produce with Heigl and her Abishag partner Nancy Heigl.

Jessop was born into the Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints sect. At 18 she married a man 32 years her senior; at 35, she fled with her eight children.

Equity financier Como Court Prods. will pay to develop the script.

Relevant was started by Menchel, the former longtime CAA agent who became a manager at Artists Management Group before shifting to producer. The shingle has set up several projects at studios including a Paramount film Menchel is producing with Simon Cowell about tenor Paul Potts and the family film "The Tortoise & The Hippo" at Walden Media.

Heigl is shooting the Robert Luketic-directed Sony/Lakeshore comedy "The Ugly Truth." Abishag projects include "Alpha Moms," a Ryan Shiraki-scripted comedy for Warner Bros., which the Heigls are producing with Code Entertainment's Larry Kennar and Rick Berg, and the Fox 2000/Spyglass action comedy "Drawn Together."

How crazy and awesome! I just read this dramatic book last month and when I finished I had actually thought about how a film adaptation might play out. I had even conducted a search to see if anyone had bought the film rights. I am totally excited about this project!

So, do we have any more details on the "Alpha Moms" project yet? I think this is new to me.

Heigl Planning Her 'Escape'


Katherine Heigl will star in and produce the film adaptation of "Escape," Carolyn Jessop's best- selling memoir about life with polygamist Warren Jeffs according to Variety. Heigl has shown her big screen viability in Knocked Up and 27 Dresses after finding success on ABC's Grey's Anatomy. The actress is currently shooting The Ugly Truth for director Robert Luketic (21). Meanwhile, the "Escape" project certainly has "Oscar bait" written all over it.

Katherine Heigl's Ready to 'Escape'
The project is based on Carolyn Jessop's escape from the Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints
Katherine Heigl is attached to produce and star in "Escape," based on the memoir by Carolyn Jessop, who fled a polygamist sect and helped expose the group.

According to Variety, Relevant Entertainment and Como Court Prods. acquired the book, while Michael Menchel and Cat Williams will produce along with Heigl and her Abishag shingle partner Nancy Heigl.

Born into a family of long-standing in the polygamist sect, Jessop was married at 18 to a 50-year-old man with three wives. In 2003, at the age of 35, Jessop fled the Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints and sued for custody of her children. "Escape" was published in 2007, before Jessop offered key testimony in the trial of sect leader Warren Jeffs.

An Emmy-winning co-star on "Grey's Anatomy," Heigl had blockbuster success with last summer's "Knocked Up" and a solid winter hit with "27 Dresses." She's currently appearing in the comedy "The Ugly Truth," while developing two or three additional projects for Abishag.

Katherine Heigl's Great Escape

Katherine Heigl has graduated from the romantic comedy portion of her Julia Roberts-paved career and is moving swiftly into her Erin Brokovich period.

According to Variety, the Grey's Anatomy thesp has signed on to star in and produce a big-screen adaptation of Escape, the best-selling memoir of Carolyn Jessop.

Jessop was born into the Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints and was forced to marry a man 32 years her senior before ultimately fleeing the sect with her eight children. Her testimony later led to the conviction of polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs.

Filming on the drama will begin once Heigl completes work on her lighter-fared effort The Ugly Truth.

Heigl: Going For An Oscar?

Halle Berry went "au natural," Charlize Theron gained a mullet and Nicole Kidman slapped on a fake nose. But those Oscar-worthy make-unders might just all pale in comparison to the transformation Katherine Heigl undergoes to play Carolyn Jessop, a member of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in a new movie, "Escape."

We're talking tall hair -- supposedly the higher it is, the closer you are to God -- unkempt brows and crazy hot dresses. And when I say "hot," I mean in terms of temperature because the sleeves and hems on those dresses are no joke!

Carolyn was married to Warren Jeffs, the notorious head of the FLDS, who she recently helped send to prison, and wrote "Escape," an autobiography about her life in the church and subsequent battle to regain sole custody of her eight children once she fled the commune at age 35.

The timing of this movie couldn't be better seeing as the whole "commune as cult" topic is such a hot button issue now and Katherine definitely needs to prove she is an actress capable of carrying movies that aren't romantic comedies.

One request Kat, keep the puffy shoulders on the dresses. They're my favorite feature of those frocks!

Kirk Ellis to pen 'Escape'
Katherine Heigl to star in adaptation of Carolyn Jessop's book
By Borys Kit

Kirk Ellis, who won an Emmy for penning the HBO miniseries "John Adams," has been tapped to write "Escape," to which Katherine Heigl is attached to star for Relevant Entertainment.

"Escape" tells the true story of Carolyn Jessop, who after years of being in a forced polygamous marriage escaped from the Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints with her eight children. Ellis will be adapting Jessop's book.

Relevant's Michael Menchel is producing along with Heigl and her mother Nancy Heigl via their Abishag shingle.

The project is being independently financed by Catherine Williams and her Como Court Prods. Williams also is acting as a producer.

Ellis, who won another Emmy for "Adams" as co-executive producer, also garnered Emmy nominations for his work on the miniseries "Into the West" and for writing "Anne Frank: The Whole Story." He is repped by CAA and Thruline.

Heigl: Going For An Oscar?

Halle Berry went "au natural," Charlize Theron gained a mullet and Nicole Kidman slapped on a fake nose. But those Oscar-worthy make-unders might just all pale in comparison to the transformation Katherine Heigl undergoes to play Carolyn Jessop, a member of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in a new movie, "Escape."

We're talking tall hair -- supposedly the higher it is, the closer you are to God -- unkempt brows and crazy hot dresses. And when I say "hot," I mean in terms of temperature because the sleeves and hems on those dresses are no joke!

Carolyn was married to Warren Jeffs, the notorious head of the FLDS, who she recently helped send to prison, and wrote "Escape," an autobiography about her life in the church and subsequent battle to regain sole custody of her eight children once she fled the commune at age 35.

The timing of this movie couldn't be better seeing as the whole "commune as cult" topic is such a hot button issue now and Katherine definitely needs to prove she is an actress capable of carrying movies that aren't romantic comedies.

One request Kat, keep the puffy shoulders on the dresses. They're my favorite feature of those frocks!

No plucking of eyebrows

It is really just a term to illustrate that the character will be very different to the somewhat stereotypical role for a beautiful leading lady in Hollywood. It will be very real and unglamorous particularly given the outfits and styling that is likely to be prevalent in the movie. I think it sounds like a really interesting project and something for Katie to really get her teeth into. I am sure she will be absolutely fantastic.