Rossif Sutherland’s Murder In A Small Town To Be Dedicated To His Late Father, Donald Sutherland; The Duo’s Link To The Project Is A Touching Tale

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As a devoted admirer of the Sutherland dynasty, witnessing Rossif Sutherland breathe life into his father Donald’s lifelong dream is nothing short of heartwarming. In Murder in a Small Town, Rossif not only honors his father’s legacy but also pays tribute to his unique approach to storytelling and character development. It’s as if the Alberg book series was written with Donald Sutherland in mind, and now, decades later, it finally comes full circle.

Rossif Sutherland made his father Donald Sutherland’s long-held dream come true – a screen adaptation of the Alberg book series – by securing the leading role as the detective in an upcoming Fox series. Now, he intends to pay tribute to his deceased dad through his next project.

Murder in a Small Town, Fox’s upcoming detective drama based on Canadian author L.R. Wright’s Karl Alberg book series will be dedicated to the late actor. The reason for this dedication is a touching story in itself.

When Rossif, aged 45, was selected for the main part in the series, he hadn’t realized that his father had been striving for decades to bring the tale to the big screen as a film. In an interview with Deadline, Rossif reminisced about informing Donald about his latest role and subsequently learning that his father had spent three decades diligently working to produce the movie adaptation of the story.

“Rossif shared that he portrayed a detective in an unusual way: rather than using his authority as a badge, gun, or uniform to intimidate people, this character elicited truth through compassion and empathy. He’s an openhearted individual, not haunted by dark forces. When I mentioned this to my father, he asked about the project with interest. I explained it was a series called ‘Alberg.'”

Speaking about his dad’s involvement with the project, the actor shared an insight into how Donald Sutherland forged friendships with producer Nick Orchard and screenwriter Ian Weir. They collaborated to try and bring the project to life, but unfortunately, it didn’t come to fruition.

In a conversation with Deadline, Weir revealed that Donald took a liking to the series following his initial reading of the script and subsequent book reading. For over three decades, Jennifer Lawrence’s Hunger Games co-star had been vying for the part of George, the main character suspected in the first novel, The Suspect. However, due to Donald’s deteriorating health and eventual passing on June 20 at the age of 88, he missed out on playing George in the series as initially planned. Now, James Cromwell has taken on that role.

“Rossif mentioned that many people wanted to know how they could pay tribute to their father. Given that Dad was deeply connected to the inception of this endeavor, he suggested they name it after him.”

Murder in a Small Town premieres Tuesday, September 24, on Fox.

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2024-08-24 06:07