Production has officially commenced on two upcoming projects.  First up, filming is underway in Atlanta on the real-life drama Devil’s Knot, directed by Atom Egoyan.  The film stars Reese Witherspoon and Colin Firth and follows the true story of the West Memphis 3 case, in which three teenagers were wrongfully charged with murdering three young boys in West Memphis, Arkansas in the 1990s.  Witherspoon plays the mother of one of the victims, while Firth plays the private investigator hired to look into the case.  The cast also includes Amy Ryan, Dane DeHaan, and Stephen Moyer.

Additionally, production has begun in New York on the relationship drama Very Good Girls.  Directed by Naomi Foner, the film stars Dakota Fanning and Elizabeth Olsen as two best friends determined to lose their virginity, only to fall for the same boy.  The cast also includes Boyd Holbrook, Demi Moore, Ellen Barkin, Richard Dreyfuss, Peter Skarsgaard, and Clark Gregg.  The score will be composed by Jenny Lewis. Hit the jump to read press releases for both films.

A trio of actors have landed some pivotal roles in director Atom Egoyan’s drama Devil’s Knot, which centers on the West Memphis 3 murder case.  For those unaware, three teenagers were convicted of killing three boys in Arkansas in 1993 despite the absence of physical evidence; they were eventually released in 2011 after countless private investigations.  Reese Witherspoon stars as the mother of one of the victims, while Colin Firth plays a private investigator hired to take on the case.  THR reports that Bruce Greenwood (Star Trek) and Michael Gladis (Mad Men) have joined the cast, with Greenwood set as the controversial judge who put the West Memphis 3 away and Gladis poised to play the defense attorney for suspect Jessie Misskelly, Jr.

Additionally, Deadline reports that Matt Letscher (Scandal) will play the defense attorney for suspect Jason Baldwin.  Production on Devil’s Knot begins next month, with Amy Ryan, Dane Dehaan, Mireille Enos and Alessandro Nivola rounding out the cast.