- Share this article on Facebook
- Share this article on Twitter
- Share this article on Flipboard
- Share this article on Email
- Show additional share options
- Share this article on Linkedin
- Share this article on Pinit
- Share this article on Reddit
- Share this article on Tumblr
- Share this article on Whatsapp
- Share this article on Print
- Share this article on Comment
Anne Hathaway is attached to star in and produce The Lifeboat, an adaptation of a book by Charlotte Rogan, whose rights have just been jointly acquired by Working Title and Focus Features.
The story centers on Grace Winter, who is standing trial for murder in 1914. The young woman is both a newlywed and a widow, and she recounts how she survived the sinking of the transatlantic ship Empress with the help of her new husband only to end up in a lifeboat. The quandary, however, is that there are too many people in the boat and the survivors soon start talking about getting rid of certain people.
PHOTOS: 11 Biggest Book-to-Big Screen Adaptations of the Last 25 Years
William Broyles Jr., whose credits range from Apollo 13 to Castaway to Flags of Our Fathers, is writing the script.
Hathaway will produce with Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner and Liza Chasin of Working Title, along with Film 360’s Suzan Bymel and Ben Forkner. Broyles will exec produce. Final producing credits are stlll being determined.
Jeb Brody, Focus’ president of production, spearheaded the acquisition on the studio’s side.
No director is currently attached.
Hathaway won an Oscar for best supporting actress for her work in Les Miserables, which Working Title produced, and is reuniting with Christopher Nolan, her Dark Knight Rises director, for his sci-fi adventure movie Interstellar. Other credits include an Oscar-nominated turn in Rachel Getting Married, Brokeback Mountain and The Devil Wears Prada.
She is repped by CAA, Management 360 and Sloane Offer.
CAA brokered the deal on behalf of the author in conjunction with David McCormick of McCormick & Williams Literary.
Email: Borys.Kit@thr.com
Twitter: @borys_kit
THR Newsletters
Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day