Hyde Park Boards Alex Pettyfer & Juliette Lewis Drama Thriller ‘Back Roads’

EXCLUSIVE: Ashok Amritraj’s Hyde Park International has taken foreign sales on Alex Pettyfer’s directorial debut Back Roads, which stars the Magic Mike actor and Oscar and Golden Globe-nominated Juliette Lewis.

The dramatic thriller is based on Tawni O’Dell’s New York Times bestseller of the same name, which was also chosen as an Oprah’s Book Club selection in March 2000. Oscar-nominated Fatal Attraction filmmaker Adrian Lyne and O’Dell wrote the screenplay adaptation of the novel with Lyne serving as EP.

Back Roads follows twenty-something Harley Altymer (Pettyfer), who is stuck raising his three younger sisters after the fatal shooting of their abusive father and their mother’s imprisonment for his murder. His life takes a dangerous turn when he develops a relationship with Callie Mercer (Jennifer Morrison), the married mother of two who lives down the road. As their affair unfurls, family secrets and unspoken truths begin to surface and threaten to consume him, until Harley finds himself the lead suspect in a local murder. Filming recently wrapped in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Back Roads also stars Nicola Peltz and Robert Patrick.

Back Roads also marks the debut feature from Upturn Productions, Pettyfer and Craig Robinson’s Los Angeles-based production company. Both produce alongside Ashley Mansour, Jake Seal, Dan Spilo  and Infinity Media’s Michael Ohoven (Oscar nominee for Capote).

Said Hyde Park’s Carl Clifton  “We’re delighted to be working with Craig and Alex on Back Roads. It’s a powerful piece with a talented cast, excellent pedigree and intense content and we look forward to introducing Alex as an exciting new directorial talent.”   

Robinson commented, “Back Roads is one of those rare stories that is as relevant as it is beautifully told. We are thrilled to finally bring it to life with such a brilliant cast and crew.”