Kill List Director Ben Wheatley Heads Up to JG Ballard’s High Rise
Screen Daily
http://www.screendaily.com/news/production/ben-wheatley-to-direct-jg-ballards-high-rise-for-rpc/5059730.article
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A film adaptation of JG Ballard’s novel High Rise has long been talked about, with plans dating all the way back to the 1970s. More recently, Splice director Vincenzo Natali was attached to the project, a plan that didn’t quite work out. But it looks like the wait is finally over.
According to Screen Daily, Sightseers and Kill List director Ben Wheatley has been hired for the job, directing a script written by Amy Jump. The plan is to shoot the film next year in the UK, and Wheatley is working with the late JG Ballard’s friend Jeremy Thomas to create a faithful adaptation of the 1975 novel.
High Rise is a ruthless depiction of a modern block tower that spirals out of control, its affluent tenants resorting to the primal laws of the jungle and tearing the high-rise, and each other, apart. Thomas describes the book as “pretty out there” and told SD that it’s “a glorious book with great cinematic possibilities.”
Previous JG Ballard adaptations include David Cronenberg’s Crash and Steven Spielberg’s Empire of the Sun. Needless to say, High Rise is in good company, and with a talented director at the helm, we predict great things for this one.
We’ll report more as we learn more.
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