Acclaimed documentary film-maker Terry Sanders has acquired film rights to the screenplay Tokyo Rose by Pat Fielder and Richard Bluel based on the book They Call Her Tokyo Rose by Rex Gunn. He will produce and direct through his company The American Film Foundation; It will mark his first fictional feature.

Tokyo Rose focuses on the arrest, trial, conviction and ultimate pardon by President Gerald Ford of Japanese UCLA graduate Iva Toguri who, during World War II, was falsely accused of treason and wrongly imprisoned. Her trial was covered by Gunn, a correspondent with Associated Press.

Sanders produced the Oscar-winning documentaries Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision and A Time Out Of War as well as the Emmy winner Lillian Gish: The Actor's Life For Me. He also directed Return With Honor which was presented theatrically by Tom Hanks.

Tokyo Rose is scheduled to shoot later in the year using both Japanese and US locations. Casting for a young Japanese American actress is underway.