For most it has been six long years since Debra Granik introduced us to Jennifer Lawrence in Winter's Bone, earning a pair of Oscar nominations in the process. While she did direct the excellent Vietnam vet documentary Stray Dog a couple of years ago, the wait for her next narrative feature may be over. The Tracking Board reports she will direct an adaptation of Peter Rock's 2009 book, My Abandonment, with Casey Affleck starring.
Granik will direct and co-write with longtime producing partner Anne Rosellini, with the story centering on a 13-year-old girl who lives in a gigantic Portland, Oregon nature preserve with her father. While they occasionally go into town to mingle with the outside world, they live an isolated existence until a simple mistake allows them to be discovered by a backcountry jogger, throwing their lives into upheaval.
Add this to what will already be a busy few months for Affleck. He'll likely be doing some awards season press for Kenneth Lonergan's Manchester by the Sea, and he's in development on directorial projects The Miracle Shot and the Western Far Bright Star. Granik hopes to begin production this fall.
