‘I Am Sybil’: Elle Fanning, Sarah Paulson to star in film on multiple personality disorder

The film, based on Debbie Nathan’s 2011 book, tells the real story of the world’s first mainstream case of dissociative identity disorder

Sarah Paulson | Photo Credit: Richard Shotwell

Hollywood actors Elle Fanning and Sarah Paulson are all set to star in a new film from writer-director Mirrah Foulkes titled I Am Sybil. The film, based on a best-selling book, tells the real story of the world’s first mainstream case of dissociative identity disorder (or better known as multiple personality disorder).

Sybil is the pseudonym that Flora Rheta Schreiber gave in her 1973 book Sybil for a young woman named Shirley Mason. The book examined the treatment that psychologist Connie Wilbur gave to Shirley who manifested 16 distinct personalities due to sexual and physical abuse. However, the new film is based on Debbie Nathan’s 2011 book Sybil Exposed: The Extraordinary Story Behind the Famous Multiple Personality Case, which exposed the truth behind the real story.

According to Deadline, Fanning might play Mason and Paulson might star as Wilbur in the new film. I Am Sybil has a script written by Foulkes and Jen Silverman. Jennifer Todd Pictures, Annapurna and The Gotham Group are bankrolling the project.

Notably, the story of Sybil has previously given birth to two television movie adaptations — NBC’s 1976 film starring Sally Field and Joanne Woodward, and CBS’s 2007 film starring Tammy Blanchard, Jessica Lange and JoBeth Williams.