Matt Smith transforms into Charles Manson for Charlie Says
Matt Smith is taking on his most menacing role yet.
The Crown actor, 36, stars as Charles Manson in Charlie Says, which follows how Manson convinced his so-called family to commit gruesome murders — and what happened to the women afterwards.
The movie, set to hit theaters May 10, is directed by American Psycho‘s Mary Herron and also stars Chace Crawford, Suki Waterhouse, Game of Thrones‘ Hannah Murray and Sosie Bacon (Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick’s 26-year-old daughter).
All the actors play the real-life members of Manson’s murderous clan. Manson died while serving life in prison in 2017 at 83.
Murray, Bacon and Waterhouse play the three women from Manson’s family who were arrested after several murders. All three women served their time at the same prison, which is where the trailer starts off.
The trailer begins by showing Waterhouse, Bacon and Murray’s characters getting psychological help in prison after their death sentences turned to life in prison. But it quickly flashes back to the past to introduce how the women came to join Manson’s circle as Murray joins the group.
Murray plays Leslie Van Houten and Bacon plays Patricia Krenwinkel in the film, both of whom are still in prison for their roles in the Manson family murders.
“We don’t talk about our pasts. Our lived started when we met Charlie,” Krenwinkel tells Houten after she officially joins them.
Waterhouse plays Mary Brunner, who was the original Manson girl after the two started a relationship in 1965. She was later paroled in 1977. Marianne Rendón plays Susan Atkins, who died while serving life in prison in 2009.
“We’re all about love here. We got no secrets. We got no shame,” Smith’s Manson tells Houten in the trailer. “Sometimes there has to some death of self, changes, tears. Are you willing to die for me?”
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This is one of several movies set to hit theaters this year about Manson and the murders. The 50th anniversary of the murders is this summer.
Charlie Says opens May 10.