Black Diamond Pictures and Slo Hand Releasing have set a May 4 release at 1,000 playdates for "September Dawn," centered on the 1857 Mountain Meadows Massacre.
Pic stars Jon Voight as a Mormon bishop and Terence Stamp as Brigham Young. Also in the cast are Lolita Davidovich, Dean Cain, Trent Ford, Tamara Hope, John Gries, Taylor Handley, Krisinda Cain and Shaun Johnston.
Christopher Cain ("Young Guns") directed and produced the film with Scott Duthie and Kevin Matossian and co-wrote with Carole Whang Schutter. Michael Feinberg, Patrick Imeson and Wendy Hill-Tout exec produced.
The massacre was the subject of 2004 docu "Burying the Past" from U. of Utah professor Brian Patrick. Over 100 pioneers who were traveling in a wagon train to California perished in the Mormon-directed attack; descendants of the victims assert that Brigham Young was complicit in the massacre -- a view denied by the Mormon Church.
Cain said he was drawn to the project because aspects of the event mirror current religious fanaticism.
"September Dawn" opens against Sony's "Spider-Man 3."
Contact Dave McNary at
dave.mcnary@variety.com