Netflix has announced that it has acquired worldwide rights to David France's THE DEATH AND LIFE OF MARSHA P. JOHNSON, a deeply compelling look at the murder of a transgender legend, known as "the Rosa Parks of the LGBT movement." The powerful, haunting film is France's follow-up to his Academy Award(R) nominated How to Survive a Plague. The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson is presented by Public Square Films; Joy A. Tomchin and Sara Ramirez (Grey's Anatomy) served as executive producers; L.A. Teodosio produced. The film will launch globally on Netflix later this year.
When Marsha P. Johnson, the beloved, self-described "street queen" of NYC's gay ghetto, was found floating in the Hudson River in 1992, the NYPD refused to investigate. Instead, they chalked it up to suicide, a widely dismissed conclusion, and left the mystery to fester for decades. Having played a pivotal role in the Stonewall Riots of 1969, Marsha and fellow icon Sylvia Rivera went on to form the world's first trans-rights organization, STAR (Street Transvestites Action Revolutionaries) in 1970. And despite their many challenges over the years - harassment, homelessness, alcoholism - Marsha and Sylvia ignited a powerful and lasting civil rights movement for gender nonconforming people. Now, 25 years after her untimely death, at a time of unprecedented visibility for, and escalating violence against, the transgender community, veteran crime-victim advocate Victoria Cruz has TAKEN it upon herself to reexamine what happened to Marsha and measure the challenges that still face the community. The film follows as this intrepid champion pursues leads, mobilizes officials, and raises troubling new questions about a famous cold case. Along the way she burnishes the political legacy of a celebrated historical figure.Videos