Screenwriter/director Charlie Kaufman (ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND) has never been known for scripts that one might call traditional, and even his book adaptations (ADAPTATION, CONFESSIONS OF A DANGEROUS MIND) could hardly be called anything resembling what you’d expect. Not that that’s a bad thing by any means – it just makes the choice to have him adapt a popular young adult books series that much more interesting.
THE KNIFE OF NEVER LETTING GO, which sounds by itself like a title Kaufman would come up with on his own, “is set in a dystopian future with humans colonizing a distant earth-like planet. When an infection called the Noise suddenly makes all thought audible, privacy vanishes, chaos ensues, and a corrupt autocrat threatens to take control of the human settlements and wage war with the indigenous alien race. Only young Todd Hewitt holds the key to stopping planet wide-destruction.”
Kaufman was commissioned by Lionsgate, who are no doubt already looking for their next big franchise after THE HUNGER GAMES with which to tap into the very lucrative young adult market. THE KNIFE OF NEVER LETTING GO is the first book in the CHAOS WALKING trilogy, and is followed by THE ASK AND THE ANSWER and MONSTERS OF MEN.
Kaufman is also currently hard at work on his meta-musical comedy FRANK OR FRANCIS.
Here’s another plot description, straight from author Patrick Ness’ website: Todd Hewitt is the last boy in Prentisstown. But Prentisstown isn’t like other towns. Everyone can hear everyone else’s thoughts in a constant, overwhelming, never-ending Noise. There is no privacy. There are no secrets. Or are there? Just one month away from the birthday that will make him a man, Todd unexpectedly stumbles upon a spot of complete silence. Which is impossible. Prentisstown has been lying to him. And now he’s going to have to run…