EXCLUSIVE: Joe Wright is in talks to direct The Lifeboat with Anne Hathaway attached to star in the adaptation of Charlotte Rogan’s book. Hathaway is also producing alongside Working Title, Film 360 and Focus Features, which acquired the rights to and are developing Rogan’s book. It’s about a young newlywed-turned-widow standing trial in 1914 for murder. The story recounts how with the help of her new husband she survived the sinking of the Empress, a transatlantic ocean liner. She finds herself on a lifeboat, only to discover there are too many people on board, leading to a moral crisis as to who stays and who has to go.
William Broyles Jr. (Castaway) is writing the script and exec producing. Working Title’s Tim Beva, Eric Fellner and Liza Chasin are producing with Film 360’s Suzan Bymel and Ben Forkner. Film 360 packaged the novel with Hathaway and Broyles before bringing to Working Title and Focus.
Hathaway and Working Title memorably collaborated on Tom Hooper’s Les Miserables, for which she won a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award. She is repped by CAA, Management 360 and Sloane Offer, Weber and Dern. Paradigm and Management 360 rep Broyles.
Wright is currently working on Pan, his take on J.M. Barrie’s classic Neverland tale for Warner Bros. Hugh Jackman, Rooney Mara and Cara Delevigne all star in the latest big screen adaptation of Peter Pan. Wright has worked regularly with Working Title with their shared credits including Pride And Prejudice, Atonement and Anna Karenina.
Wright is repped by Independent Talent Group and CAA.
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