Edgar Wright to helm adaptation of kidnapping thriller The Chain

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Thanks to the years Edgar Wright spent developing ANT-MAN before dropping out of the project, it felt as though we didn't get nearly enough from the SHAUN OF THE DEAD director for a number of years, but Wright has been snagging projects left and right to make up for his absence. Deadline reported today that Universal Pictures has tapped Edgar Wright with directing an adaptation of Adrian McKinty's best-selling novel, "The Chain."

"The Chain" tells the story of Rachel, a mother whose 11-year-old daughter has been kidnapped. In order to get her back, Rachel is told that she must kidnap another child and that her daughter will only be released when the next victim's parents kidnap another child. "If Rachel doesn’t kidnap another child, or if that child’s parents don’t kidnap a child, her daughter will be murdered," reads Deadline's synopsis. "She is now part of The Chain, a terrifying and meticulous chain letter-like kidnapping scheme that turns parents from victims into criminals." Damn, that has the potential to be awfully spooky. KINGSMAN: THE GOLDEN CIRCLE scribe Jane Goldman will pen the script for THE CHAIN.

As I mentioned before, this isn't Edgar Wright's only project in the works, as it was announced earlier this year that he's slated to direct SET MY HEART TO FIVE, an adaptation of a novel by Simon Stephenson. The story is set in "an all-too human 2054," and follows a human-like robot named Jared who works as a dentist. When he experiences an emotional awakening after an introduction to '80s and '90s movies, he sets out on an unforgettable quest for connection, belonging, and possibly even true love as Jared works to convince mankind that he and his kind should be permitted to feel. This all leads to an unforgettable adventure across the West Coast of America, after Jared determines to write a film script that will change the world. Wright's next film is LAST NIGHT IN SOHO, a psychological thriller set in London which Wright says has been influenced by both Nicolas Roeg's DON'T LOOK NOW and Roman Polanski's REPULSION. The film stars Anya Taylor-Joy (THE NEW MUTANTS), Thomasin McKenzie (JOJO RABBIT), Matt Smith (The Crown), Michael Ajao (ATTACK THE BLOCK), Synnøve Karlsen (Medici), Diana Rigg (Game of Thrones), Terence Stamp (MURDER MYSTERY), and Rita Tushingham (BEING JULIA). The film is set to hit theaters on April 23, 2021.