Dakota Johnson & Riley Keough To Topline Limited Series ‘Cult Following’ In Works At Platform One

EXCLUSIVE: Platform One Media, a Boat Rocker company, has optioned writer Bexy Cameron’s upcoming memoir Cult Following, with Dakota Johnson (Suspiria, The Peanut Butter Falcon) and Riley Keough (Logan Lucky) attached to star and executive produce through Johnson and Ro Donnelly’s production company TeaTime Pictures and Keough and Gina Gammell’s production company Felix Culpa.

The project stems from TeaTime Pictures’ first look deal with Platform One.

“We were so happy that TeaTime introduced us to Bexy’s incredible story,” said Katie O’Connell Marsh, Platform One Media Chairman and CEO. “It’s rare to find writing so pure and captivating and this project is an incredible opportunity to bring a truly unique journey to life with two of the most talented actors working today and the fact that Dakota and Riley have been best friends since they were 15 is an incredibly exciting chemistry to bring to screen.”

Based on the book written by Cameron, the story follows her as she recounts her upbringing in the notorious cult Children of God. After emancipating herself at the age of 16 and building a life away from the cult, as an adult Cameron (Johnson) embarks on a road trip with a close friend (Keough) to investigate and document contemporary cults existing in America today. Two young women set out on the ‘adventure’ of a lifetime and Cameron’s emphatic, raw and at times incredibly funny experience on the road runs parallel to her examining and processing the psychology and trauma of her own childhood being raised in a cult. It’s a journey of meltdowns, meth cooks, monks, Jesus freaks, soap-making Armageddonists, surveillance vans, ex-Apple employees and finally, Cameron’s confrontation of her parents and ultimately herself.

“It has been a dream of ours since we launched TeaTime to collaborate with Riley and Gina at Felix Culpa,” said Johnson and Donnelly. “We are beyond thrilled to join forces and friendship to bring Bexy’s remarkable story to the screen. Alongside Platform One, we look forward to adding the final top notch collaborators to the team.”

Added Keough and Gammell, “We are so thrilled to bring Bexy’s incredible story to television alongside our dear, beautiful friends at TeaTime, Dakota and Ro. We couldn’t dream of better collaborators for this. Thank you Platform One, we can’t wait for this adventure.”

Johnson and Donnelly will executive produce through TeaTime Pictures alongside Keough and Gina Gammell through Felix Culpa and Cameron.

The memoir will be published by Manilla Press, an imprint of Bonnier Books UK, on July 8, 2021, in hardback, trade paperback, eBook and audio.

“It’s a dream come true, to be working with Dakota, Riley, Ro, Gina and Platform One,” said Bexy Cameron. “It’s overwhelming to think that such a stellar group of phenomenal women in the industry will be bringing my story to life.”

Cameron is repped by 42 for books and adaptation. The deal was negotiated by 42 and Ziffren Brittenham. Johnson is repped by WME, Untitled and Ziffren Brittenham. Keough is repped by CAA, Thirty Three Management, and Hansen Jacobson.

Platform One is behind Simon Kinberg and David Weil’s sweeping Apple TV+ sci-fi series Invasion, now in production and Showtime series Rust, starring Jeff Daniels and Maura Tierney and created by Dan Futterman. In addition, also through the first-look deal with TeaTime, Platform One has a series in the works at Amazon starring Johnson, created by Christy Hall and to be directed and executive produced by Carrie Brownstein.

In addition to their deal with Platform One Media, TeaTime Pictures has several features currently in the works including Queens of the Stoned Age for Sony Pictures and Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know for MGM.

Felix Culpa’s projects include Simon Stone’s Sweet Lamb of Heaven and The Curse of Beauty written by Ottilie Wilford.

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