Amy Adams (Arrival, The Woman in the Window), a six-time Oscar nominee, is getting into the horror game with one heck of an interesting project that has just been set up at Searchlight Pictures in a multi-million-dollar deal. According to Deadline, Nightbitch, based on Rachel Yoder’s novel, has been acquired by the studio from Annapurna in a deal said to be in the $25 million range. What’s more, Marielle Heller (Can You Ever Forgive me?, A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood) has signed on to direct the adaptation, adding even more prestige to what is described as a dark horror comedy. Plus, that is one heck of a title.
The article states that Searchlight won the distribution rights in what was said to be a competitive situation. Yoder penned the screenplay for the adaptation herself after Bond Group and Annapurna initially acquired the rights back in 2020. So, what is Nightbitch, exactly? The (admittedly wild) synopsis reads as follows:
“Nightbitch tells the story of a woman thrown into the stay-at-home routine of raising a toddler in the suburbs, who slowly embraces the feral power deeply rooted in motherhood, as she becomes increasingly aware of the bizarre and undeniable signs that she may be turning into a canine.”
Searchlight Presidents David Greenbaum and Matthew Greenfield had this to say about the deal in a joint statement:
“We are long-time admirers of Amy Adams, and we are thrilled to join with Annapurna and this incredibly creative team of filmmakers to bring this unique story to the screen. We’re also delighted to reunite with Mari Heller and Anne Carey again following the collaboration on Can You Ever Forgive Me? Mari has brilliantly adapted Rachel Yoder’s stunning debut for what promises to be a provocative film.”
Adams, Stacy O’Neil, Heller, Anne Carey, Megan Ellison, Christina Oh, Adam Paulsen and Sue Naegle are on board to produce, with Sammy Scher and Havilah Brewster serving as executive producers. Heller had this to add:
“Rachel Yoder’s book took my breath away. I haven’t felt this way about [a] book since I read The Diary of a Teenage Girl many years ago. Rachel’s darkly hilarious tale of motherhood and rage made me feel seen. And adapting it with Amy Adams in mind has been the thing that has kept me going through the pandemic. I am so thrilled to be bringing this movie to life with wonderful partners in Anne Carey, Annapurna Pictures, and Searchlight. It is a dream come true.”
There is no word yet on how soon production could begin, but with the deal in place, one expects that Searchlight won’t be sitting on their hands for too long. We would also expect to hear further casting updates sooner rather than later. This certainly seems like one to keep an eye out for. Now, whether or not that title makes it through to the end, is a bit of a question mark.
Nightbitch does not yet have a release date set.
