Focus Features taps Sharon Horgan as the director of The New World

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Congratulations are in order for HBO's DIVORCE creator Sharon Horgan, who Focus Features recently announced will helm the upcoming film adaptation of Chris Adrian & Eli Horowitz’s novel THE NEW WORLD as her feature directorial debut. As the talented co-creator of PULLING and MOTHERLAND for BBC, Horgan has been sharpening her film skills for a number of years, and now the Irish actress, writer, and producer will be given the opportunity to cut her teeth behind the camera as the helmer of a new and exciting sci-fi thriller. Writing the screenplay for the adaptation is Sarah Ruhl. Meanwhile, Alicia Van Couvering and Olivia Wilde will produce.

According to Deadline, the story of THE NEW WORLD centers on Jane's husband, Jim, who has just died – or not quite as he had assigned his head to be frozen with a shadowy organization that promises to do away with mortality forever. Awake in a bucolic retreat – an afterlife of sorts – Jim learns that the cost of eternal life is higher than he ever could have imagined. Meanwhile, stranded in the realm of the living and reeling from the loss of her husband, Jane sets out to get back his head.

In regard to her acting chops, Horgan has been a player of the big and small screen since 2002, when she contributed to the TV series THE STATE WE'RE IN. Since that time, she's gone on to star in a wealth of TV series and feature films, including voice acting roles for shows like ADVENTURE TIME, BOJACK HORSEMAN, and the recently released DISENCHANTMENT from Simpsons creator Matt Groening.

THE NEW WORLD sounds as if it will be quite the ambitious project, though I'm certain that Horgan is up to the task, and will likely go hard in the paint with many of the novel's outlandish sci-fi themes and set pieces. Here's hoping for a weird and wild thriller built upon the back of an intriguing premise.