Elizabeth Banks and Diane Lane are poised to team up for the crime drama Every Secret Thing.  Merced Media Partners, Palmstar, and Hyde Park announced today that they will be financing director Amy Berg’s (Deliver Us From Evil) drama from a script by Nicole Holofcener (Please Give, Friends with Money).  The story centers on Ronnie and Alice, who were convicted for the murder of a baby when they were just 11-years-old and were incarcerated until they turned 18.  While attempting to adjust to live outside juvenile detention, children start to go missing and the police turn their attention once again to Ronnie and Alice.  The mystery surrounding the original murder still looms overhead, and their roles in it take center stage in what sounds like an intriguing character drama.

Filming is set to get underway in February 2013, with Frances McDormand onboard as a producer.  That makes quite the line-up both in front of and behind the camera for this promising crime drama.  Berg most recently directed the Peter Jackson-produced documentary West of Memphis, which documents the wrongful conviction of the West Memphis 3.  Hit the jump to read the full press release for Every Secret Thing.

Here’s the press release:

Toronto   – September 9, 2012  -- Anthony Bregman of Likely Story, Frances McDormand, Raj Singh of Merced Media Partners, Kevin Frakes of Palmstar Media Capital and Ashok Amritraj of Hyde Park Entertainment announced today that Merced Media Partners, Palmstar Media Capital and Hyde Park Entertainment have joined in financing Likely Story’s “Every Secret Thing,” the upcoming crime drama starring Diane Lane and Elizabeth Banks.  Based on the novel by Laura Lippman, the film will be directed by Amy Berg (“West Memphis 3,” “Deliver Us From Evil”) from a screenplay adaptation by Nicole Holofcener (“Please Give,” “Friends with Money”).  The film will start shooting in February 2013. Likely Story's Anthony Bregman (“Can A Song Save Your Life,” “The Oranges,” “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”) will produce the film with Frances McDormand. Executive Producing will be Raj Singh, Stuart Brown, Kevin Frakes, Ashok Amritraj, and Stefanie Azpiazu.  Hyde Park Entertainment will handle international sales out of the Toronto International Film Festival. Craig Emanuel of Loeb & Loeb and Alexis Garcia from WME negotiated the deal on behalf of the filmmakers.

At 11-years-old, Ronnie and Alice were convicted for the murder of a baby and were incarcerated until they turned 18. Now newly released and replete with psychological problems, each attempts to adjust to life outside juvenile detention… when children start to go missing. As the police turn their attention to Ronnie and Alice, the mystery surrounding the original murder and their roles in it takes the fore.

Academy Award Nominee Diane Lane (“Unfaithful”) and Elizabeth Banks will lead the cast, yet to be announced.  A star of both stage and screen, Lane recently wrapped production on the feature film “Man of Steel” for Warner Brothers, director Zack Snyder and producer Christopher Nolan and was last seen in “Cinema Verite” and “Secretariat.”  Banks, most recently starred in “People Like Us” and “The Hunger Games” and has several upcoming films, including “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire,” and “Pitch Perfect.”

Producer Anthony Bregman stated, "Great, female-driven crime movies are few and far between -- and one this original and surprising is like a gift.  It's gratifying that so many talented and enthusiastic collaborators agree-- from the creative to the financial sides and everywhere in between."

“There is a very talented group of filmmakers working on ‘Every Secret Thing,’ and we look forward to working with all of them. We’re excited to be part of the team that will bring this highly regarded story to audiences worldwide,” said Raj Singh and Kevin Frakes.

“This is a terrific story that has captured the attention of readers worldwide,” said Hyde Park’s Amritraj. “We are excited to work with Anthony, Amy, Diane. Elizabeth, Frances and our partners at Merced/Palmstar.”