“WITNESS PROTECTION” IN DEVELOPMENT WITH ANNIE MURPHY ATTACHED TO STAR AND EXECUTIVE PRODUCE

“Schitt’s Creek” Writers David West Read and Rupinder Gill to Write and Executive Produce 

Los Angeles, CA – (July 27, 2021) – MRC Film’s female-driven comedy label, helmed by Becky Sloviter, today announced it is developing Witness Protection with Emmy® Award winner Annie Murphy (“Schitt’s Creek,” “Kevin Can F**k Himself,”) attached to star and executive produce. Witness Protection reunites Murphy with writers Rupinder Gill and David West Read of the Emmy-winning “Schitt’s Creek,” who will write and executive produce the film. Elysa Dutton and Leslie Morgenstein will produce for Alloy Entertainment, with Sloviter producing for the label.  

Witness Protection centers on a woman who has always defined herself by her romantic relationships, but when she is forced to enter witness protection, she must try to figure out who she really is for the first time while maintaining her cover and keeping the criminals at bay.  

The original concept for the film was developed in-house at Alloy Entertainment, which worked with Murphy to package the project that ultimately sold to MRC Film in a competitive situation. 

Previously announced projects in development for MRC Film’s female driven comedy label include The Inheritance from Emmy Award winner Ashley Nicole Black and Adam Sztykiel’s directorial debut Let’s Have Kids!, written by Sztykiel and Ellie Knaus. Sloviter most recently produced the Golden Globe® nominated and Critics Choice Awards’ Best Comedy Film Palm Springs. 

Annie Murphy is an Emmy Award-winning actress best known for her portrayal of Alexis Rose in the award-winning series “Schitt’s Creek.” For its sixth and final season, the series received nine Emmy wins, the SAG Award® for Best Ensemble in a Comedy Series, and many more, becoming the most awarded comedy series in a single year. Murphy currently stars as Allison on AMC’s new series, “Kevin Can F**k Himself,” a dark comedy that follows the secret life of a sitcom wife. She will also be featured in the highly anticipated second season of Netflix’s “Russian Doll.” Recent guest appearances off-camera include “Robot Chicken” (Cartoon Network), “American Dad” and “Family Guy” (20th Century Fox). Murphy has written, produced and performed in “The Plateaus,” a web series for the CBC which also features Elisha Cuthbert and Jay Baruchel. Born and raised in Ontario, Canada, Murphy is a graduate of both the Canadian Film Centre Actors’ Conservatory and the Theatre Performance Program at Concordia University. 

Murphy is repped by Gersh, Mosaic, GGA, and 42West. Gill is repped by UTA, 3 Arts and Hansen, Jacobson Teller. Read is repped by Gersh.  

About MRC Film 

MRC Film is a leading independent studio known for championing singular filmmakers and emerging directors to make high-quality distinctive films and for its selective investments in major studio films, collectively which have earned more than $6 billion in worldwide box office and received accolades including 12 Academy® Award nominations and 11 Golden Globe® Award nominations. MRC Film is currently in production on The Mothership, starring Halle Berry and from writer and director Matt Charman, for Netflix. Past projects include the highest grossing original R-rated comedy of all time, Ted, the Oscar® and Golden Globe nominated Knives Out, the Oscar nominated Baby Driver, Oscar-winning Babel, and the comedy The Lovebirds. MRC Film has co-financed films including upcoming The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run, the Peter Rabbit franchise, the second and third installments of Hotel Transylvania, 22 Jump Street, Think Like a Man Too and Fast & Furious 7. For more information, please visit www.mrcentertainment.com.