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Death In Convict Canyon tells the amazing true story of the first train robbery in the west which was followed up with the largest prison break ever at that time. It taps into the genre’s resurgence while addressing contemporary themes of justice and the gray area of right and wrong. Its lean budget ensures high production value, leveraging stunning natural locations (many at or near where the events actually occurred) and a tightly woven narrative. 

Synopsis:

In 1870, near Verdi, Nevada, John Chapman and John Squiers attempt to rob a stagecoach but are foiled by Mono Jim, a Piute Native American, and Robert Morrison, a Wells Fargo agent. Taken to Sheriff James Kinkead, the two criminals are surprisingly let off with a warning. Chapman, weighed down by guilt, struggles through his Sunday school lesson, feeling mocked by the children’s innocent questions. Undeterred, Squiers convinces him to attempt another robbery, which ends in similar failure.

Instead of learning from their mistakes, Chapman becomes obsessed with wealth and hatches a plan to rob the Overland Express. He and Squiers gather a gang of out-of-work miners and petty criminals to help pull off the heist. Meanwhile, in Benton, California, Mono Jim chastises his friend Morrison for taking risks, revealing concerns about Morrison’s struggling general store and his own doubts about risking his life for others' wealth.

Chapman’s train robbery goes off without a hitch, but Kinkead, experienced in hunting criminals, quickly tracks down most of the gang and recovers the stolen money. The trial draws attention from all over, with figures like Samuel Clemens in attendance. Despite Chapman’s protests of innocence, he and the others are convicted and sent to Carson City Prison.

Facing life in prison, Chapman plans an escape. He recruits fellow prisoners, including hardened criminals like Leander Morton, to break out. The men tunnel through the prison and arm themselves, shooting their way out. During the escape, they encounter Pony Express rider Billy Poor, whom Leander kills despite Chapman’s efforts to stop him. This brutal act enrages a group of vigilantes pursuing the criminals. The posse attempts to capture them and a shootout in Monte Diablo Canyon ensues where several posse members are killed, before ultimately Morrison and Mono Jim are executed. Shortly after, Chapman, Leander, and Moses Black are captured. Instead of a legal trial, the vigilantes hang them. Chapman meets his fate with a prayer, while Kinkead watches, disillusioned, before riding away.

Screenplay:

• Written by Chris Lieber and Michael David MacBride

• Adapted from the historical novel by Jim S. Reed

Vision Statement:

Inspired by the raw intensity of Sergio Leone’s epics, the moral complexity of Don Siegel’s character studies, and the visual style of Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s Revenant, we’ll use expansive cinematography (shot with anamorphic lenses) and a cast of weathered souls to immerse audiences in a world where past sins grind them into dust. The period-precise production design and diverse ensemble will immerse audiences in a world where every choice has dire consequences. These characters will battle the elements of a winter wilderness hellscape attempting to elude a tenacious group of vigilantes, bounty hunters and lawmen. It will exude stylistic choices of The Revenant, Treasure of Sierra Madre, High Sierra and the Hateful Eight. Utilizing Jim Reed’s well-sourced book, the writers recreated the authenticity and feel of those earlier days in the mining towns of Nevada. They utilize the timeless themes of law, order and justice in its different forms; timeless stories of Justice and Vigilantism and the gray area in-between. This never-been-told story represents a different time in the unique history of Nevada and Central California.