The horrifying case of serial killer abortionist Kermit Gosnell was shamefully ignored by most of the mainstream media for too long. Eventually they were shamed by pro-life and right-wing media sites into covering the tragic story. Once they did, it was quite obvious to everyone that the morality of abortion aside, this case was truly one of the most disturbing serial killer cases of modern times. ABC News described him as potentially one of the nation’s “most prolific serial killers” and a journalist from The Atlantic wrote that the grand jury report was among the most horrific he’d ever read.

HuffPo Live’s Marc Lamont Hill admitted that many left-wing media sites didn’t cover the story because they feared it would give the pro-life movement too much ammunition. It was media malpractice to the fullest but in the end Gosnell was convicted of three counts of first-degree murder. He will die in prison.

When married documentary film team Ann and Phelim McAleer (FrackNation)decided to take on the Gosnell story as a scripted film event, the hesitation from backers was almost as troubling as the original media hesitation, but that did not deter the pair from launching an historic crowdfunding campaign that raised close to $3 million.

With veteran Hollywood actor and director Nick Searcy (Justified, Moneyball, Castaway) at the helm and a media no longer afraid to cover the story, a dramatic telling of the story might seem like an easy sell, but once again the Gosnell tale of horror is meeting resistance.

In a statement emailed to media outlets, the McAleers claim they have been facing steady rejections from studios and distributors as they seek to release the now completed project. A phrase they’ve often heard is “it’s too controversial” despite the fact that Hollywood routinely sponsors pro-abortion movies.

“Obvious Child was a romantic comedy where a likable couple bond over her aborting their child. Grandma – starred veteran actor Lily Tomlin – as a grandmother on a road trip trying to gather together enough money for her granddaughter’s abortion,” said Producer Ann likable.

“These films were nominated for awards and praised by critics for “tackling abortion”. Now the idea that GOSNELL, a film based on a true story – with much of it based on courtroom transcripts – is “too controversial” is laughable. This is continuing the media coverup – they don’t want anything that asks difficult questions about abortion.”

In an exclusive interview with Redstate,  director Nick Searcy explained that he did not direct ‘Gosnell’ as a message movie in any way, and took particular care to present an even, well-rounded thriller that explored a compelling real-life drama.

It’s a crime story that becomes a courtroom drama. It happens to be about a doctor who committed crimes while performing ostensibly legal abortions, which makes the subject matter unique.

I worked very hard to get the preachiness out of the movie. It has been shown to people on both sides of the issue, and they all found it fascinating, and illuminating. I tried to make this movie about what actually happened, and not a movie about how the audience should feel about what actually happened.

Though Searcy says as a director he has no knowledge of or involvement with the distribution aspect, he is skeptical of the idea that the movie could be considered controversial as Hollywood never really shies away from such things. Searcy believes that the film is worthy of theatrical release and a streaming-only release would be “a missed opportunity.”

I believe that there’s an audience for this film, and a much broader audience than you would think.  It is not a partisan film, but an even-handed look at a seminal event in American history concerning one of our most contentious issues, and there are things to be learned by people on both sides in this fast-paced and engaging movie. [These] guys are leaving an awful lot of money on the table by not picking it up.

Perhaps the subject truly is too controversial for the notoriously liberal-leaning Hollywood…or perhaps the film itself simply doesn’t meet the quality standards of some of these large services. We won’t know until the public has the chance to view the film for themselves.

However, with conservative media quickly becoming the mainstream media and conservative lightening rods such as Tomi Lahren and Ann Coulter drawing in big viewership numbers it seems like a movie like this would be a good financial bet for anyone. The impressive crowdfunding numbers alone indicate there is a very rich market for this topic and this film.

It remains to be seen who, if anyone will take a risk on this small-budget independent film, but producer Phelim McAleer (who is also releasing a book on the subject) believes it is a story that deserves to be told and seen:

“This is one of the biggest crime sprees in American history. It’s a fascinating story that needs to be known. The book and movie will ensure that the cover-up is ended and the truth will be known.”