Today, Deadline & The Hollywood Reporter announced that Tom Felton has signed on to star in Canyon Del Muerto, a film about the life of Ann Axtell Morris, one of America’s first female archaeologists and a co-discoverer of North America’s first civilization.
The indie project will also star Abigail Lawrie, Val Kilmer, Elias Koteas, Ewen Bremner, Bronson Webb and Hanako Footman. Canyon Del Muerto will tell the true story of Axtell Morris, who helped discover North America’s first civilization.
She was married to Earl Halstead Morris, to be played by Felton, who, along with the historical character Sylvanus G. Morley (Bremner), offered the inspiration for Indiana Jones.
Voorhees penned the script for Canyon El Muerto based on two books by Axtell Morris, who was also an artist and writer, and will also produce the indie alongside John Voorhees. The movie is set to start production in Albuquerque, New Mexico on Oct. 26.
“I want to introduce the story of this heroic and tragic, pioneering woman to audiences around the world because her story was so inspiring to me. We are honored to be working with Ann’s remaining family in addition to the Navajo Nation and National Park Service to retell her story that was lost to time,” Voorhees said in a statement.