Jennifer Lawrence and Gary Ross are reuniting on two upcoming projects, the first is John Steinbeck’s EAST OF EDEN (1952). The deal on this one was just closed between Universal Pictures, Imagine Entertainment’s Brian Grazer, and the estate of John Steinbeck.
The book is a favorite of director Ross who has cast Lawrence in one of the roles. The story is centered on a pair of, “sons who compete for the attention of their farmer father in Salinas, CA. Ross wants Lawrence to play Cathy Ames, the cold and cruel mother of the boys and estranged wife of the farmer. The films will tell their stories, leading into the rivalry between their sons.”
The next project for Ross and Lawrence is another novel adaptation, BURIAL RITES by Hannah Kent. This one is soon to be shopped, and I’m sure there will be no problem finding it a home.
This story will focus on Lawrence as, “a young woman accused of murder in Iceland in 1829. The drama takes place between the murder and the prosecution of the case against a woman who is victimized and powerless against the forces trying to send her to a public execution. Ross will direct and Lawrence will play the protagonist in a tale as bleak as her Oscar-nominated breakout turn in Winter’s Bone.”
Steinbeck is gaining new popularity with not only this but Steven Spielberg recently made a deal to make an updated version of THE GRAPES OF WRATH.