Actor Tony Goldwyn is going from the controversially adulterous President of the United States on Scandal to a new role as the controversial President of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS) in the Lifetime movie Outlaw Prophet: Warren Jeffs, which premieres Saturday, June 28, at 8/7c. Check out some of the first official promotional photos for the movie released by Lifetime, including Goldwyn as Warren Jeffs as well as Academy Award and Golden Globe winner Martin Landau as Warren’s father Rulon Jeffs and Molly Parker as one of his many wives (above).
^ Martin Landau as Rulon Jeffs and Tony Godwyn as his son Warren
Here’s the scoop on the movie from Lifetime’s press release:
TONY GOLDWYN, ACADEMY AWARD® AND GOLDEN GLOBE® WINNER MARTIN LANDAU, MOLLY PARKER AND JOEY KING STAR IN THE LIFETIME ORIGINAL MOVIE OUTLAW PROPHET: WARREN JEFFS, PREMIERING JUNE 28th
Based on the True Story of the Polygamist Cult Leader and the Trail of Destruction He Left Behind
LOS ANGELES (May 22, 2014) – Tony Goldwyn (Scandal, Divergent), Academy Award and Golden Globe winner Martin Landau (Ed Wood, Crimes and Misdemeanors), Molly Parker (House of Cards, Deadwood) and Joey King (Fargo, Crazy Stupid Love) star in the Lifetime Original Movie Outlaw Prophet: Warren Jeffs, from Sony Pictures Television, premiering Saturday, June 28, at 8pm ET/PT.
Outlaw Prophet: Warren Jeffs is the true story of the fundamentalist Mormon leader who spent more than a year on the FBI’s “10 Most Wanted List” for unlawful flight on charges related to his alleged arrangement of illegal marriages involving underage girls. Based on the book When Men Become Gods, by New York Times bestselling author Stephen Singular, the movie chronicles Jeffs’ (Goldwyn) rise to power after the death of his father, Rulon Jeffs (Landau).
Within days of his father’s passing, Warren married all of his father’s wives and dictatorial control over his polygamist followers ensued. He demanded women in the sect be completely subservient to men, banned laughing and “reassigned” wives to other men at whim.
Jeffs was eventually charged as an accomplice to rape for arranging underage marriages but fled prosecution. After a year-long manhunt, he was finally apprehended in Texas and brought back to trial. The courtroom testimony of two brave young women who escaped his reign of terror ensured he would finally be convicted and sentenced to life in prison.
Outlaw Prophet: Warren Jeffs gives an inside look at the psychology of a cult leader and those who blindly followed him. Even to this day with their leader behind bars, members of his polygamist cult still believe that he is the prophet chosen by God himself.
Outlaw Prophet: Warren Jeffs premieres Saturday, June 28, at 8/7c on Lifetime.
