Advertisement

Glen Powell, Anthony Mackie, Laura Dern starring in 'Monsanto' trial movie

Glen Powell will play attorney Brent Wisner in "Monsanto." File Photo by Chris Chew/UPI
1 of 5 | Glen Powell will play attorney Brent Wisner in "Monsanto." File Photo by Chris Chew/UPI | License Photo

May 8 (UPI) -- Rocket Science announced the cast of the movie Monsanto Wednesday. Glen Powell, Anthony Mackie and Laura Dern will star.

John Lee Hancock directs and co-wrote with Michael Wisner, Alexandra Duparc, Ned Benson, based on the true story of the cast of the Johnson v Monsanto Co. case.

Advertisement

Powell plays attorney Brent Wiser, representing Dewayne "Lee" Johnson (Mackie) in a case against chemical company Monsanto. Johnson was a groundskeeper using the Monsanto chemical weed killer, Roundup.

Dern plays Monsanto toxicologist Dr. Melinda Rogers, who testifies that Roundup is safe. Johnson claimed the frequent use of Roundup at work caused his non-Hodgkins Lymphoma.

The jury awarded Johnson $289 million in 2018 but the judge reduced the award to $78 million according to NPR and further to $21 million on appeal according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

Johnson is still alive.

"I've always been fascinated by true stories of ordinary people against extraordinary odds," Powell said in a statement. "This story encapsulates that spirit with a critical issue that affects us all."

Powell stars in the upcoming films Hit Man and Twisters. Mackie returns to Marvel in the upcoming Captain America: Brave New World. Dern is currently starring in the Apple TV+ series Palm Royale.

Advertisement

Latest Headlines