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Black Bird is an American true crime drama miniseries developed by Dennis Lehane, based on the 2010 autobiographical novel In with the Devil: a Fallen Hero, a Serial Killer, and a Dangerous Bargain for Redemption by James Keene with Hillel Levin. [1]
Black Bird: Created by Dennis Lehane. With Taron Egerton, Paul Walter Hauser, Sepideh Moafi, Greg Kinnear. Jimmy Keene is sentenced to 10 years in a minimum security prison but he cuts a deal with the FBI to befriend a suspected serial killer.
- (110K)
- 2022-07-08
- Biography, Crime, Drama
- 58
- The True Story of Black Bird
- James Keene Was Offered A Shorter Sentence For Befriending Larry Hall
- Was Larry Hall Ever Convicted For Murder?
- How Long Was The Real James Keene in Prison?
- What Black Bird Leaves Out About The True Story
- Playing Larry Hall Was Intense For Paul Walter Hauser
- Why Producer Dennis Lehane Adapted The Black Bird True Story Into A Miniseries
- Did The Changes Made Help Or Hurt The Story?
The Real Larry Hall Was A Serial Liar
Black Bird's true story is stranger than fiction. In 1995, Larry Hall was sent to USMCFP Springfield for kidnapping Jessica Roach, a 15-year-old girl who went missing in 1993. The conviction was based on Hall’s original confession to the murder, despite his later attempts to recant it. This would be somewhat of a trend for Larry Hall, who continued to frustrate the FBI with fake stories and multiple confessions he went back on. The Apple TV+ series captured some of this, including how another...
Keene Was A Former Football Star Busted On Drug Charges
In real life, Jimmy Keene was a promising young football star and the son of a police officer. He fell from grace after being caught up in a huge drug bust in the '90s called Operation Snowplow. Keene was sentenced to 10 years in prison on charges relating to drug trafficking and conspiracy [via Daily Journal and CNN]. The FBI approached Keene and, in 1998, gave him a choice: serve his full sentence or try to befriend the alleged serial killer — Larry Hall — in a maximum-security prison for t...
Larry Hall Was Found Guilty And Sentenced To Life Without Parole
Despite recanting his confession for the murder of Jessica Roach in both Black Bird and in real life and appealing his initial sentence, Larry Hall’s story was too accurate. Larry Hall went on to be found guilty and given life without parole. However, he wasn’t convicted of murder — only kidnapping. The fact that the kidnapping led to death is the only reason Larry Hall’s sentence ended up being life without parole. Larry Hall is now 59 and serving his sentence in Butner, North Carolina. In t...
James Keane Was Released Overr Eight Years Early
Despite Taron Egerton’s Keene and the real James Keene being technically unsuccessful in drawing any further confessions out of Larry Hall, he was still given his freedom after his time in USMCFP Springfield. The real James Keen passed a polygraph test that confirmed he truly did befriend Larry Hall and tried to elicit information from him. Jimmy Keene served around 17 months of his 120-month sentence, as per Daily Journal. The James Keenearc included a tragic turn from his true story too. In...
Mostly Subplots & Side Characters Had Their Stories Changed
Black Bird was incredibly accurate and retold the story of Larry Hall and James Keene without many changes. However, the miniseries omitted a few details from the real events. While Black Bird explores some of Larry Hall's upbringing, such as that he and his brother regularly helped their father at his job as a grave digger, some key details about the serial killer's early years weren't included. There's good reason, though, as these details are much less certain, and covering them would requ...
The Actor Chose To Take A Break From Darker Roles After This
While Paul Walter Hauser does enjoy the true crime genre, after the experience of playing the serial killer the actor has considered taking a break from taking on darker roles. In an interview (via The A.V. Club), Hauser discussed exactly what went into portraying a serial killer in the Black Bird show true story, and it didn't sound like an easy time. According to Hauser, he tried to create his own character in Hall, drawing from people he's met that fit some of Hall's characteristics such a...
The Black Bird true story and what happened to the real James Keene and Larry Hall makes for compelling viewing in the miniseries, but it's fair to point out that most true crime cases do. However, the creative mind behind Black Bird, producer, and crime writer Dennis Lehane, has offered some fascinating insight into why the FBI's attempts to get a...
The Small Changes Helped Keep The Focus Narrowed
Since Black Bird kept the main story of James Keene and Larry Hall intact with very few inaccuracies, it allowed the miniseries to play out as both an entertaining and factual biopic. However, the changes that it did make mostly helped the story in the long run. It was important to keep this story focused on Keene and Hall's relationship because that drove the plot and storylines forward. Going too much into either character's past would detract from the drama. Leaving out much of Hall's upbr...
- Tom Russell
Jul 6, 2022 · Black Bird distinguishes itself with a pointed, disturbing script; nearly flawless performances by Taron Egerton, Paul Walter Hauser, and the late Ray Liotta; and an ability to build tension...
Jul 8, 2022 · It’s a straightforward enough question that FBI agent Lauren McCauley puts to inmate Jimmy Keene early in the new Apple TV miniseries Black Bird. Still, each answer Jimmy manages is wrong ...
- 2 min
Jul 8, 2022 · The riveting “Black Bird” sustains six hours of tension in its telling of a remarkable true story about a convict who was convinced to get closer to a serial killer to make sure he stayed behind bars.
Jul 24, 2022 · Black Bird is an excellent crime drama and a fantastic mini-series in its own right. In an increasingly saturated field, Black Bird manages to push through and stand out as one of 2022's brightest sparks.
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