Fox to develop film on Supreme Court gay marriage ruling

Following last month’s ruling of the USA Supreme Court that allowed same-sex marriages in the country, 20th Century Fox secured the rights to make a movie on the case that led to the legalization.

The project will be developed by the 20th Century Fox division Fox 2000, known for book adaptions such as Life of Pi and The Devil Wears Prada.

Fox also reportedly secured screen rights to an unwritten book called “21 Years to Midnight“, co-authored by Obergefell and journalist Debbie Cenziper.

Jim Obergefell, the plaintiff in the Obergefell v Hodges supreme court case that legalised same-sex marriage in the U.S. His producing credits include The Fault in Our Stars, which took in more than $307 million worldwide a year ago.

Obergefell and his late husband John Arthur were a long-time couple, who, since they could not marry in their home state, married in Maryland in 2013, shortly before Arthur died of ALS. Following his bereavement, the state of Ohio refused to list him as Arthur’s widower.

“We decided to stand up for our marriage and to no longer accept being treated as second-class citizens”, he said. Our decision, motivated by pain and anger, created a chain of results I never expected.

Obergefell was the lead plaintiff in one of the suits that ultimately reached the Supreme Court. She now works for The Washington Post.