By Impish and semi-fictional screenwriter Charlie Kaufman has been brought on to adapt the first novel of young adult series Chaos Walking for Lionsgate. The studio hopes for another Hunger Games with the trilogy – a dystopian science fiction story of the Noise, which broadcasts the thoughts of all living creatures and has left the planet of New World in shambles.
Kaufman, who won an Academy Award for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, isn’t one for adherent translation. His script for Confessions of a Dangerous Mind was, to his dissatisfaction, notably toned down by director George Clooney, and his attempt at The Orchid Thief became the puzzling, post-modern Adaptation.
How Chaos Walking will fare under his hand remains to be seen, as the studio isn’t unaware of Kaufman’s style, nor would it presumably be willing to sacrifice the chance at a successful blockbuster franchise by entertaining a classically labyrinthine product from the screenwriter. As our own Alex Katz puts it: this seems more like a Donald Kaufman project.
[via Deadline]