TORONTO - The horrific story of Reena Virk's beating death could be turned into a Hollywood feature by actress Reese Witherspoon's production company.
Type A Films has optioned the rights to the 2005 true-crime book "Under the Bridge," which details the brutal gang slaying of the 14-year-old Victoria student, author Rebecca Godfrey said Monday.
Godfrey, who is routinely invited by B.C. high schools to discuss youth violence, said the unsettling tale could make for a compelling big-screen film without glorifying violence.
"Part of what makes it an interesting film is it really is a mystery - in not only what happened but why it happened," said Godfrey, adding that bullying is a universal issue.
"It's not just a small-town Canadian story ... These issues are everywhere and these kids can be anyone's kids. People can read about them in Detroit or Texas and recognize themselves."
Godfrey said she would have no role in crafting the screenplay but was confident that the storyline would remain true to her original vision.
Rather than just being a straight-ahead crime story, "Under the Bridge" offers a detailed look at the relationships surrounding the crime's key players, and the aftermath wrought on the city of Victoria and its suburbs.
"If they (the filmmakers) have read the book they would understand that the book in no way glorifies violence and it's actually almost anti-violent in showing how something so petty spun out of control," she said.
There is no word on who might star in the film or when production might begin.
Godfrey said she is currently working on a romantic-comic novel that will be released sometime next year.
