John and Anne Darwin: Canoe fraud could be turned into Hollywood film

The incredible Reggie Perrin-style story surrounding the web of lies spun by John and Anne Darwin could be turned into a film, netting the couple a fortune once they leave prison. Like Perrin, the fictional character at the heart of the 1970s sitcom, Darwin tried to escape a life of drudgery by faking his own death and establishing a new existence. The BBC series was incredibly popular because viewers empathised with Perrin. But publicists warned that the Darwin story needed a little sympathetic artistic licence, because although their actions were fascinating, the characters were not. Max Clifford said a film of the couple's lives could prove a box office hit, as long as it had a little help. "If they were successful in changing the public's perception of them - pushing the idea that the hoax was born out of desperation... [read full story]