The last time one of author Brian Selznick's novels was adapted for the screen, it was Martin Scorsese's Hugo, which earned a whopping 11 Oscar nominations 5 wins. Now Todd Haynes, who is receiving a lot of attention at Cannes, will try to replicate that success by adapting Selznick's award-winning book, Wonderstruck.
Haynes will write and direct Selznick's Wonderstruck, which is similar to The Invention of Hugo Cabret in that the story is highly dependent on both words and pictures. It follows two deaf children, Ben and Rose, living in different time periods but sharing a unique connection. Here's the synopsis:
Playing with the form he created in his trailblazing debut novel, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, Brian Selznick once again sails into uncharted territory and takes readers on an awe-inspiring journey.
Ben and Rose secretly wish their lives were different. Ben longs for the father he has never known. Rose dreams of a mysterious actress whose life she chronicles in a scrapbook. When Ben discovers a puzzling clue in his mother's room and Rose reads an enticing headline in the newspaper, both children set out alone on desperate quests to find what they are missing.
Set fifty years apart, these two independent stories--Ben's told in words, Rose's in pictures--weave back and forth with mesmerizing symmetry. How they unfold and ultimately intertwine will surprise you, challenge you, and leave you breathless with wonder. Rich, complex, affecting, and beautiful--with over 460 pages of original artwork--Wonderstruck is a stunning achievement from a uniquely gifted artist and visionary.
The script is not only finished, but has already been described as "brilliant" by some, so count this as another intriguing project for Haynes. It's just unclear when it will actually shoot. He's still got a Peggy Lee biopic with Reese Witherspoon to finish, and he also agreed to do a TV series based on the commune documentary, The Source Family. Meanwhile Haynes' latest film, the Rooney Mara and Cate Blanchett drama Carol, has received some incredible reviews at Cannes. [ScreenDaily]
