WRITTEN BY MARBACK & HILLYER
The incredible, true story of the Union Army’s real-life, Jason Bourne. The man who would kill Abraham Lincoln’s assassin, John Wilkes Booth.
The mercury took his mind. The government took his soul. But he never lost his sense of duty to his country.
Far-right, authoritarian ultranationalism. Civil unrest. Racist bigotry. The mid 1800’s yielded bloodshed and civil turmoil, but also was a rude reminder of the threat of domestic terrorism and political bigotry against the state of the Union. As we recover from the recent attacks on our Capitol by homegrown terrorists, must we also be reminded of what it takes to put a bullet in democracy?
Boston Corbett: The Enemy Within reveals not only the man, but also the untold story of one of our country’s first secret agent who fought against this. Thomas ‘Boston’ Corbett was arguably the Jason Bourne of the Civil War.
At one of the most fragile moments in our country’s history, enveloped by the chaotic backdrop of the Civil War, Washington itself was a snake pit of deception, betrayal and conspiracy. No one was to be trusted, not even those in Lincoln’s inner circle. Were Corbett’s manipulators, the very members of Lincoln’s own administration, responsible for his assassination? Only the missing eighteen pages torn out of Booth’s diary after his death could answer that question.
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FILM SCRIPT
Produced by Townhouse Media Filmworks & Directed by Sam Fayed
“I waged war against those who threatened the fabric of our democracy” —Boston Corbett
WHO WAS BOSTON CORBETT?
He was the man who fired the single, fatal shot that took John Wilkes Booth’s life.
From the shadows of the Civil War emerged a soldier like no other; well trained, incredibly brave and quite possibly mad. His mind poisoned by years of work as a hatter, unhinged by the death of his wife and stillborn child, Boston Corbett immersed himself into religious zealotry, the Union Army and the mission of saving the North. He fought in some of the bloodiest battles of the war, even surviving the prison death camp known as Andersonville.
A member of a clandestine, elite force used for his strength and marksmanship, but easily manipulated due to his mental instability, Corbett was a secret agent assigned to eliminate some of the most treacherous threats to the Union. From the murder of dynamite fiend William Thomas, one of the country’s first homegrown terrorists, to the capture of Belle Boyd, one of the most deadly Confederate spies, Corbett was groomed to play the ultimate role of his life—as a member of a handpicked group of the 16th New York Regiment sent to capture Booth alive. But that was never going to happen, and Corbett was the only soldier in the group who knew it.
A FAMILIAR BACKDROP
Political upheaval pervades our society. Recent events have showcased a nation divided. How can we learn from the past?
CHARACTERS
THOMAS ‘BOSTON’ CORBETT
A Union soldier manipulated by the US Government to be the country’s first secret agent. They take advantage of his stamina, mental problems, and his devout patriotism to carry out dangerous missions in an attempt to save the country.
MAN IN BLACK
Boston’s mercury-induced hallucination. He appears as a man who guides Boston through his transformation and most terrifying assignments, ultimately climaxing in Boston’s action that forever cements his place in history.
SARA
Boston’s sister in law. She convinces him to come to Boston to help him heal from the loss of his wife and daughter in New York. She is his only confidant and is helpless as he slips into madness.
GENERAL
The leader of the “team” who knows the country is holding on by a thread. He also knows that he has no other option but Boston. But he will be the first to order Boston’s death if he is no longer useful or becomes uncontrollable.
DOCTOR
He is also part of the “team,” using his medical knowledge to keep Boston functioning as his madness Increases. He knows it is only a matter of time before Boston will become uncontrollable.
CHAPLAIN
A man of the cloth with a hidden agenda. He is part of the clandestine “team” fighting the Civil War through undercover means, but he will betray anyone to protect himself, even his country.
OLYMPIA
She is a famous performer and spy for the Union, traveling the country gathering information about Confederate strategy. She also partners with Boston to help trap Booth.
LAFAYETTE
A Native American woman who becomes an assassin for the North after her family is slaughtered. She and Boston work together on the most dangerous missions in order to win the war.
CRAIG
The young Boy Scout who first learns about Boston Corbett, his life, and the true definition of patriotism.
JOHN WILKES BOOTH
The famous actor who becomes obsessed with defeating the North during the war. He gathers a group of conspirators, plots with them, and ultimately assassinates President Lincoln at Ford’s theater.
LUCY HALE
The daughter of a powerful Union politician. She meets and falls in love with Booth. Their plans to marry are thwarted by her father’s disapproval and Booth’s plan to shoot the President.
BOOTH’S CONSPIRATORS
A group of Booth’s closest associates, who work with him to plan Lincoln’s assassination: George Atzerodt, David Herold, Lewis Paine, and Mary E. Surrat.