Ann Peacock

Ann Peacock was born and raised in South Africa where she obtained an undergraduate degree majoring in English Literature and Speech &Drama and later, a Law degree from the University of Cape Town. After teaching at the University of Cape Town Law Faculty, Ann emigrated with her family to Los Angeles. Ann took course work in screenwriting at UCLA writing her first script about her son's experience defending the rights of oppressed blacks in S. Africa called June The 16th. Ann's next piece was Goodbye Bafana, an adaptation for Gareth Wigan at Columbia and producer Barbara DeFina. It's about the relationship between Nelson Mandela and his white prison guard of 25 years. Following that, Ann wrote the adaptation for A Lesson Before Dying (1999) for producers Ted Demme and Joel Stillerman and director Joe Sargeant, winning the Emmy for Best Screenwriting. She brought the non-fiction book Country Of My Skull to producer Bob Chartoff, who optioned it for her. The resultant Columbia Pictures feature film, _Country of My Skull: Guilt, Sorrow, and the Limits of Forgiveness in the New South Africa (2004)_ is due out in theatres October 2004. Samuel L. Jackson and Juliette Binoche are starring. Phoenix Pictures is producing and John Boorman is directing. It is a black - white love story set against the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa. Brad Silberling came to Ann asking her to adapt the documentary On The Ropes for he and Warner Bros pictures. It is the true story of a young female African-American boxer going for the Golden Gloves, only to be brought down by her brother's drug abuse. Ann had been moved by Terrence Malick's film The Thin Red Line. When she heard that Universal Pictures and Irwin Winkler had optioned the book Marines Of Autumn, she delved into it and commenced research without being offered the picture. She read 7 other books on the Chosin Resevior event in the Korean War, and interviewed 6 G.I.s. She became so beloved by the G.I.s that they started inviting her to every reunion they had, where she had the opportunity to meet hundreds of servicemen who all gave her their stories of the event. By the time she met with Irwin Winkler and the studio, she was clearly in love with her subject matter and gave them a wonderful story. Her first draft should be in shortly. Ann recently finished writing A Star Is Born for Warner Bros., and _Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe, The (2005)_ for Walden Media.