Keira Knightley 20th Thriller Boston Strangler

Keira Knightley and Carrie Coon Investigate the ‘Boston Strangler’

20th Century Studios has unveiled first-look photos from its true-crime thriller Boston Strangler — also unveiling a premie

Knightley and Coon are joined in the ensemble by Alessandro Nivola (Amsterdam), David Dastmalchian (Dune), Morgan Spector (Homeland), Bill Camp (Joker) and Academy Award winner Chris Cooper (Adaptation). Producers are Ridley Scott (The Martian), Kevin J. Walsh (House of Gucci), Michael Pruss (American Woman), Josey McNamara (Promising Young Woman) and Tom Ackerley (I, Tonya). Michael Fottrell (The Fate of the Furious) and Sam Roston served as exec producers, with the latter overseeing the project for Scott Free, along with Bronte Payne for LuckyChap.

Also newly announced is a three-part companion podcast — from ABC News division, ABC Audio — to be released for free on all major podcast platforms ahead of the film’s debut.

The Boston Strangler film from writer-director Matt Ruskin follows Loretta McLaughlin (Knightley), a reporter for the Record-American newspaper, who becomes the first journalist to connect the Boston Strangler murders of the 1960s. As the mysterious killer claims more and more victims, Loretta attempts to continue her investigation alongside colleague and confidante Jean Cole (Carrie Coon), yet the duo finds themselves stymied by the rampant sexism of the era. Nevertheless, McLaughlin and Cole bravely pursue the story at great personal risk, putting their own lives on the line in their quest to uncover the truth.

The Boston Strangler podcast will be hosted by award-winning journalist and former Boston Globe reporter Dick Lehr, who knew McLaughlin and reported on the Boston Strangler case. The podcast delves into the backstories and tragic fate of the victims linked to the Boston Strangler case and explores why these half-century-old killings remain the subject of so much fascination.

Pic will bow on March 17 exclusively on Hulu in the U.S., Star+ in Latin America and Disney+ under the Star banner in all other territories