Permut Presentations has acquired the life rights of Jon-Adrian “JJ” Velazquez, who served a nearly 24-year sentence for a murder he did not commit, as well as to NBC News journalist Dan Slepian’s reporting on Velazquez. The company is planning to make a narrative feature about Velazquez’s decades-long relationship with Slepian, who was a senior investigative producer for “Dateline,” and who worked tirelessly to expose the truth that led to Velazquez’s exoneration.

Velazquez recently co-starred in A24’s Oscar-nominated “Sing Sing.” The project builds on “The Sing Sing Chronicles,” the Emmy-winning documentary produced by NBC News Studios; “Letters From Sing Sing,” the seven-part NBC News Studios podcast series hosted by Slepian; and Slepian’s 2024 book “The Sing Sing Files,” which documented his investigations that led to the freedom of six innocent men, brought national attention to Velazquez’s case and raised questions about accountability and the justice system. Velazquez has sued New York City for his wrongful murder conviction.

David Permut will produce in association with NBC News Studios, alongside Velazquez, Geri Leigh Tiu, Liz Cole, Slepian and Keenan Porterfield. Permut Presentations’ director of development Alex Astrachan will serve as executive producer. The filmmaking team is currently exploring possible writers and filmmakers to adapt the story.

“I was absolutely inspired by JJ’s fight for freedom, as well as Dan’s unique perspective as an investigative journalist who becomes part of the very story he’s reporting on,” Permut said. Highlighting the impact of the story, Cole said the journey “has resonated deeply with all of us at NBC News, and we’re thrilled to partner with David Permut to bring it to a wider audience.”

“This story is bigger than my life,” said Velaquez, “it belongs to everyone who has ever held onto truth when the world refused to believe them. I am deeply honored to stand alongside David, Liz, Dan and Geri, a team whose commitment to this story matches the gravity of what it represents. The truth was always there. Now, together, we are ensuring the world will see it.”

Slepian reflected on how the project evolved: “This began with a letter from a man convicted of murder, urging me to investigate his case. Over time, it became a deeper commitment by challenging my understanding of truth, responsibility and how long you stay with a story when it refuses to let you go.”

Permut Presentations’ upcoming releases include “The Invite,” directed by and starring Olivia Wilde, alongside Seth Rogen, Edward Norton and Penélope Cruz, which premiered to acclaim at the Sundance Film Festival and was acquired by A24 ahead of its theatrical release on June 26. The company is also producing “Being Heumann,” directed by Academy Award winner Sian Heder for Apple. Past films include “Twinless,” “Rustin” and “Hacksaw Ridge.”

NBC News Studios is a full-service production company inside NBC. Recent work includes “Allegedly,” a new weekly true crime video podcast on Netflix; an upcoming feature documentary directed by Chris Smith that will be on Netflix; “Aileen: Queen of the Serial Killers,” co-produced with BBC and Netflix; “Separated,” which premiered at the Venice International Film Festival and Telluride Film Festival and was directed by Errol Morris; and the scripted NBC miniseries “The Thing About Pam,” starring Renée Zellweger and produced with Blumhouse.

Permut is represented by John Tishbi at Pearlman and Tishbi.