Village Roadshow Television is developing a scripted series and a two-part docuseries based on the story of convicted serial killer William Dathan Holbert, better known as “Wild Bill,” who is currently serving 47 years in prison for murdering at least five American expatriates.
The company recently acquired the rights to an unpublished memoir by Scott McAda, who Wild Bill attempted to frame for his crimes, as well as “The Jolly Roger Social Club,” a book about the murders by journalist Nick Foster.
Per Village Roadshow, the two series tell the story of “a tropical ex-pat community in Panama’s Bocas del Toro, where a wealthy American retiree is framed for multiple murders by a serial killer.”
Chris Goldberg, who produces Village Roadshow’s previously announced upcoming podcast “Natural Selection: Scott vs. Wild Bill” on behalf of Winterlight Pictures, pursued the story of Wild Bill for a decade, eventually bringing together Foster and McAda’s books.
A joint venture between Village Roadshow Entertainment Group and Treefort Media, “Natural Selection: Scott vs. Wild Bill” features former FBI criminal profiler Candice DeLong. The podcast will be featured at a March 10 SXSW panel titled “Turning Podcast IP into TV.”
Goldberg and Treefort will executive produce the Wild Bill scripted series , which is currently in development with Village Roadshow’s Alix Jaffe and Bri Hennessey overseeing production. Village Roadshow’s Shannon Perry oversees development of the docuseries, which will feature the first-hand story of retired NSA intelligence officer and Navy pilot Don Winner, who decided to investigate the truth behind Wild Bill after hearing rumors about him.