Texas Monthly, the renowned magazine that has been documenting life in the Lone Star State for nearly five decades, is venturing into the world of film and television. In collaboration with Peabody and Critics’ Choice Award-winning filmmaker Deborah Esquenazi, Texas Monthly is set to produce its first-ever feature documentary. The film, which is currently untitled, focuses on the story of James Reyos, a gay Apache man who has spent the last 40 years fighting to clear his name in the brutal murder of a Catholic priest in oil-rich West Texas.
Partnering with the Innocence Project of Texas, Esquenazi’s documentary delves into a case that has eluded detectives, crime researchers, and amateur sleuths for four decades. By shedding new light on the story, the film exposes a web of media lore, homophobia, and whispers of a possible serial killing team targeting clergy in the 1980s. Texas Monthly has previously covered the case in print, with award-winning executive editor Michael Hall examining its intricacies.
The documentary is a collaboration between Myths of Monsters and Naked Edge Films, with producers Daniel J. Chalfen, Adrienne Collatos, and James Costa. Executives from Texas Monthly, including Scott Brown and Megan Creydt, join Ken Nolan and Jim Butterworth as executive producers. Creydt, Texas Monthly’s executive producer for TV, film, and podcasts, expressed excitement about the project, stating that Esquenazi’s journalistic approach to filmmaking aligns perfectly with the magazine’s vision for documentary storytelling.
Texas Monthly has a long-standing tradition of in-depth reporting on wrongful convictions, making this project particularly meaningful. Creydt believes the documentary will not only resonate with those directly involved in the case but also with individuals who care deeply about the criminal justice system and its impact on underserved communities.
Esquenazi, the filmmaker behind the documentary, praised the collaboration with Texas Monthly, stating that there is no better partner for a project like this. She highlighted the recent reopening of the case by the Odessa Police Department, which uncovered new forensic evidence in 2022. Esquenazi described the thrilling experience of capturing the collaboration between the police department, the District Attorney’s office, and the Innocence Project of Texas clinic at Texas Tech University. Together, they are reinvestigating a cold case that might finally exonerate an innocent man who has been fighting for justice since the early 1980s. Esquenazi expressed her enthusiasm for working with Texas Monthly to bring this compelling story to the screen.
Although Texas Monthly is relatively new to the world of film, TV, and podcasts, the magazine has already made significant strides. It currently holds a first-look deal for scripted TV with HBO and Max, and recently executive produced the limited series Love & Death, which was based on its own storytelling. The magazine also produced the true crime docuseries How to Create a Sex Scandal and has numerous other projects in development for both film and TV.
One of the upcoming projects is Land Man, a series led by Billy Bob Thornton and based on the Texas Monthly podcast Boomtown, which is being developed by Taylor Sheridan. Additionally, the Richard Linklater film Hitman is expected to be released later this year.
Deborah Esquenazi, an Austin-based filmmaker and investigative journalist, is the founder of Myth & Monsters Studios, a production company dedicated to challenging deep-seated myths about women, BIPOC, and gay individuals. She gained recognition for her debut feature, Southwest of Salem: The Story of the San Antonio Four, a critically acclaimed documentary that played a key role in exonerating the “San Antonio Four” of a gang rape in San Antonio, Texas. The film received numerous accolades, including a Critics’ Choice Award for Best First Feature, a Peabody Award, a GLAAD Media Award, and an Emmy nomination.
Esquenazi’s work also includes the Emmy-nominated documentary short El Vacío, produced by Concordia Studio and the New York Times. She previously served as the senior producer of Stories from Deep in the Heart, a radio program that partners Texas Folklife with the Austin-based KUT-NPR. Esquenazi’s experience also extends to her role as a Field Director on PBS’ documentary special And She Could Be Next, produced by Ava DuVernay.
With Texas Monthly represented by CAA and Esquenazi by MoJo Global Arts, the collaboration between these two powerhouses promises to bring a captivating and thought-provoking documentary to audiences. By combining investigative journalism with the art of storytelling, the film aims to shed new light on a case that has captured the attention of the public for decades. Texas Monthly’s foray into film and television marks an exciting expansion for the magazine, as it continues to explore new avenues for delivering impactful storytelling.