PELLETT—The Movie

It was during Clem’s first interview, which happened to be with CNN, in March 2010 that the idea of a movie was planted. As Clem talked with the reporter about the capture of the longest absconder in Montana history, the reporter blurted out “This is going to be a movie!” Not long after, a documentary “The Kid With The Hollywood Haircut” aired both in the US and internationally.

That TV crime show production prompted numerous script writers to reach out to Clem over the following five years, each pitching how they would treat the story for the silver screen. But, Clem found himself less than satisfied with any of them. Nonetheless, the notion of telling his family’s story through film continued to germinate.

As with many of life’s happenings, out of the blue serendipity struck! A friend of a friend of a friend connected Clem with Fred Fontana–a “Hollywood guy”. As soon as Fred and Clem talked, Fred immediately grasped the essence of the story. And, the script was born! Supported by a dedicated production team, Fred ran the gauntlet of the COVID pandemic, historic Hollywood strikes and of course the “business side” of the film industry over the course of eight years. The memory of Clem’s grandfather kept the dream alive. That, combined with a commitment to never waver from the authentic Montana story pushed the team to prevail.

PELLETT, the movie, will be released in 2025. PELLETT is the true story of Clem C. Pellett’s quest to understand the circumstances of his grandfather’s 1951 murder. It chronicles the trials and tribulations of a small Montana town facing the possibility that a black hearted killer would get away with cold blooded murder in the face of aggressive anti-death penalty forces standing in the way of frontier justice. Filmed where events took place 70 years ago, this feature movie is authentic throughout, including using the actual murder weapon.

Check back here for the exact release dates and details on where you can view the film.

Read more about the film here.

PELLETT

Director and Writer – Fred Fontana

Produced by – Fred Fontana, Jeremy Oliver Miller, Clem C. Pellett, Peter Sobich Jr.

Starring – Lindsay Wagner, Lee Tergesen, Armin Shimerman

Also starring – Peter Straus, Chris Conrad, Cindy Pickett