WITHOUT HATE dramatizes the true, topical, politically charged and controversial headline story of a hate crime that wasn't a hate crime and a jury foreman who set out to prove that four young men from an old school Brooklyn neighborhood didn't deliberately lure a gay man from an internet chat room to his death.

The powerful and absorbing screenplay addresses current social justice debates, questions the integrity of high-profile hate crime prosecutions, explores themes of biased manipulation within the justice system and offers a controversial and deeply personal perspective on a case that may have been driven more by political ambition than actual hatred.

Playwright, lyricist and WGA Screenwriter Eric Zaccar, himself became the subject of much debate in the press when he was literally drafted into the middle of this real life urban drama. Before completing his final draft and beginning pre-production on the film, Eric sat down with and got to know family members, friends, lawyers and witnesses on all sides of the case.  He was in court every day for the multi-layered trials, he studied thousands of pages of legal records and news stories, and he drove to several upstate prisons to interview all four incarcerated young men.  This level of unparalleled access, research and authenticity is apparent on every page of the compelling and captivating script.

The saga of Without Hate began when a gay man tragically died and four young men were arguably railroaded to long term prison sentences so political careers could advance.  Eric Zaccar was pulled in and his script was written and polished to arguable perfection.  The project, and Design Catcher Productions LLC, a small young company formed to produce a variety of entertainment related ventures, found significant start up money.  Budgets were written, locations were scouted, an award winning director was secured, noteworthy and established talent came on board, original soundtrack music was recorded, a table reading was staged, investment memorandums were created, and projected scheduling was done. 

Several successive business and financial setbacks have placed the venture on temporary hold.  Ironically, the last blow to the project, that was meant to shine light on a corrupt justice system, came from a biased and barely competent judge, whose son would go on to be one of the more colorful January 6th insurrectionists.

The idea of producing the film independently, without any help from the established industry, has not been completely abandoned, but other options will be considered.  As many people in the business have repeatedly said, our script would be ideal for HBO, Netflix, Amazon or a comparable station that actively seeks controversial true-crime content.  Our story has already generated significant press attention. Polarizing subject matter guarantees social media buzz. LGBTQ+ themes ensure broad demographic appeal. And courtroom, jury and Brooklyn based dramas have always attracted mainstream audiences. 

Though principal photography is on hold and will depend on many variables, initial pre-production left us with many guidelines to work from.  Most of the locations have been scouted. The exteriors could be shot entirely in Brooklyn, New York.  The interiors, that make up more than fifty per cent of the film, can also be shot in the Brooklyn and Manhattan area.  Production shouldn't take more than thirty five days, and it's unlikely that any single performer would have to work more than ten to fifteen days.  Actors, under our initial plan, would have had low budget SAG contracts.  Additional provisions could have been made for selected performers.

If you'd like more information about the script, the budget, the projected cast, the character breakdowns, or about becoming involved, please

E-MAIL US at info@without-hate.com. 

If you'd like to see our page that was posted when our film was in pre-production, and read about some of the talent and behind the scenes people involved, please Click Here or on the link below.  Sadly, the eminent and gracious gentleman agent, Don Buchwald, who provided invaluable support and assistance for our project, has died. The renowned actor Frank Vincent who was slated to play our defense attorney is also no longer with us. Virtually everyone else is still available and anxious to jump back in and much more talent is ready to come on board.

For more detailed press coverage on the story behind WITHOUT HATE,

Click on the links below.