David Magee announced the film adaptation of his bestselling memoir, “Dear William,” at the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College Fall Convocation at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 17.
“Our ‘Dear William’ that will showcase this university and the Magee Center and stakeholders (and) this story … ‘Dear William’ is going to be a movie,” Magee said.
“Dear William” details the life of Magee’s oldest son, William Magee, and his ongoing struggle with substance abuse. William Magee was a member of the Honors College and a lettered athlete on the Ole Miss Track Team.
Andrew Hyatt, director of movies such as “Sight” and “The Blind,” is developing the movie’s screenplay along with Eric Groth, the producer of “Wildcat.”
“My dear William heard that,” Magee said, following the crowd’s thunderous applause in response to the film’s announcement.
Magee is best known for “Dear William,” but convocation also served as the release party for his latest book, “A Little Crazy.” Released on Sept. 17, “A Little Crazy” serves as a call to action for those searching for a greater purpose.
David Magee stressed the importance of reaching out to those who show signs of needing help and resources such as the William Magee Center for AOD and Wellness Education, an institution David Magee co-founded with his wife, Kent, in memory of their son.
Following the event, sophomore biochemistry major Lily Kruse expressed appreciation for David Magee’s ability to turn his son’s story into something that can help others.
“I personally have struggled with mental health issues,” Kruse said. “So hearing that is really powerful, and it gives me hope that maybe I can use my own story to impact other people.”
Editors note: An earlier version of this article stated that Angel Studios was set to produce the film and it would be directed by Andrew Hyatt. However, “Dear William” has not been pitched to a distributor at this time and Hyatt is developing the screenplay with producer Eric Groth.
