Viewers will see Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson in a new light in the Lionsgate thriller, Boneyard.
Jackson plays a police chief tracking a serial killer in the film, alongside Brian Van Holt as the lead detective, and Mel Gibson as a troubled FBI agent brought in to help with the case.
“50 Cent is going to be a shocker for people to see in this role,” the film’s co-writer and director, Asif Akbar, said in a recent interview with Urban Hollywood 411.
“And Mel Gibson, his character Agent Petrovick was the backbone of the film. He was also my first vision for that character… Once he read the script, and he saw our vision for it, he agreed to do it,” Akbar added.
Related: Lonnie Franklin Jr., Notorious ‘Grim Sleeper’ Serial Killer, Dies at 67
The thriller is based on real events from 2009, when the remains of 11 women and an unborn child were discovered in the Albuquerque, New Mexico desert.
The search for clues began when a woman walking her dog found a human bone in the area, according to local news station KRQE. But the case, known as the West Mesa murders, went cold and the suspect remained unidentified.
Akbar said the film, which was years in the making, has had an impact on the investigation.
“Our film has been bringing that case kind of back into the limelight,” he explained. “The victims’ family members are also getting encouraged to come forward and ask for more answers from the authorities.”
February marked 15 years since the bodies were discovered. According to a recent news release from the Albuquerque Police Department, investigators have received nearly 1,400 tips related to the case since 2009.
In addition to the remains found in 2009, eight women remain missing and are believed to be connected to the case, police said. As the movie gains attention, the police department has announced a $100,000 reward for information in the case.
Akbar said serial killings are a national crisis.
“There’s over 2,000 active serial killers that law enforcement knows about just in the U.S. alone, that are still out there and are being investigated,” the filmmaker said. “There’s over 600,000 missing persons cases in the U.S., and that’s just the U.S. alone. Imagine the stats globally. So this is definitely a global issue that we need to shed light on and talk about.”
Vincent E. McDaniel is one of the film’s writers and also has a role in the true crime thriller. He grew up in Albuquerque, and said the victims’ families desperately want closure.
“Some of the families believe that they need some answers, stuff just went dry on everybody. And that’s why they are really behind our our film, because this is keeping the story alive, people are talking about it once again,” McDaniel said in our interview.
He added that true crime entertainment projects have the power to make a difference.
“[The film] is raising awareness to some of the issues that we’ve been dealing with, that a lot of people haven’t been talking about as far as missing women, indigenous women, women all around the world,” he said. “This is a major issue that’s been brought to the forefront.”
Nora Zehetner and Michael Sirow also have roles in the film.
Boneyard is now available on VOD in the U.S. and Canada and opens in select theaters on July 5.
Watch the trailer below:
Discover more from Urban Hollywood 411
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
