Yorgos Lanthimos, helmer of the 10-time Oscar-nominated comedic biographical drama THE FAVOURITE, has announced that he’s signed on to write and direct POP. 1280, an adaptation of the crime novel of the same name by author Jim Thompson.
The project for Imperative Entertainment is being produced by Element Pictures with Lanthimos also producing, by way of Discovery Productions. Obviously, with THE FAVOURITE having garnered an absurd amount of attention during this year’s awards season, the development of this adaptation will be watched with an eagle’s eye by cinephiles and awards associations alike.
As for Thompson’s novel. Pop. 1280 was published in 1964, and centers on a corrupt sheriff of a small town who manipulates the people in his orbit in order to win the next election. According to Deadline, who exclusively broke the news about the pic late this afternoon, Lanthimos has been a fan of the book for quite some time, and is itching to sink his teeth into its content for the big screen.
For those of you keeping count at home, this will be Lanthimos’ fourth feature with Element’s Andrew Lowe and Ed Guiney, following KILLING OF A SACRED DEER, THE LOBSTER and THE FAVOURITE. With a track record like that, it’s easy to see why some will be very excited to see how the POP. 1280 endeavor develops over time. We'll be watching this one very closely for sure.