Cleopatra Films to Produce Lynyrd Skynrd Plane Crash Epic FREEBIRD

Cleopatra Films, the movie division of famed indie record label Cleopatra Records has signed former Lynyrd Skynyrd drummer Artimus Pyle to an exclusive production deal to co-write and co-produce a feature film about the 1977 plane crash that took the lives of several band and crew members of the Lynyrd Skynyrd band.

Tentatively titled "Freebird," the film will recreate the story about the ill-fated flight through the eyes of Pyle, who not only survived the plane crash (that claimed the life of the band's founder and front man Ronnie Van Zant amongst others), but who also physically pulled the remaining survivors out of the plane wreckage before limping towards the nearest farmhouse in rural Louisiana to seek help.

Jared Cohn has been tapped to direct the project and will co-write along with Pyle. Producing is David Sterling, with Cleopatra's Brian Perera as Executive Producer and Tim Yasui as Co-Producer. Filming commences this summer in multiple locations throughout the USA. Pyle will also contribute some original music to the film's soundtrack.

"This film's story - MY story - is not just about the plane crash but also about my personal relationship with the genius that was Ronnie Van Zant, whom I loved like a brother and still miss to this day," said Pyle.

Cleopatra recently acquired all U.S. rights to the Morrissey biopic STEVEN, which will be directed by first time helmer Mark Gill and stars Jack Lowden as the iconic British singer and front man for the band The Smiths. "Downton Abbey's" Jessica Brown Findlay has also joined the cast and will star opposite Lowden. The project is scheduled for production this summer.

STEVEN is the next project to be theatrically distributed by Cleopatra's film division, following a number of smaller ventures and partnerships on indie titles.

Additionally, they have partnered with The Orchard on the horror title BLOOD TRAP, which will debut digitally on September 20th, 2016. The film stars Costas Mandylor and Vinnie Jones.

Since its inception in 1992, the L.A.-based independent record label founded by Brian Perera has brought alternative and UNDERGROUND music acts - from goth ROCK ICONS Christian Death to proto-industrial legends Chrome to space rock hero Nik Turner of Hawkwind - to wider audiences all over the world. In addition, the label has released albums by multi-platinum recording artist/producer Todd Rundgren, Grammy Award-nominated Judy Collins, and speed rock kings Motörhead, plus indie rock band Magic Wands, punk ROCK LEGENDS Anti-Nowhere League, multi-faceted icon William Shatner, and many others.