So maybe Amazon aren’t entirely comfortable with self-distribution, as they’re calling on Warner Bros. to produce their project. In its final stages, the collaboration will adapt Donna Tartt‘s acclaimed The Goldfinch, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2014 and Amazon’s 2013 Best Book of the Year.
The Goldfinch is a story about 13-year-old Theo Decker who survives a terrorist attack in an art gallery, losing his mother. He staggers out of the gallery with a painting in hand – The Goldfinch. The painting gives Theo hope, but also leads him into a world of crime which opens dangerous doors for the boy as he grows up.
The film adaptation is said to have a budget of around $40 million, with Amazon contributing more than a third of the figure. It will subsequently land on Amazon’s Prime Video service and home entertainment platforms. Warner Bros. will meanwhile distribute the film in theatres worldwide.
There is little information on which individuals will be involved in the project, but Ralph Fiennes (Schindler’s List, Harry Potter) is reportedly wanted for the role of Hobie, an antiques dealer who befriends Theo. Liam Neeson was once attached to the role, with Julianne Moore approached to play the mother. While neither of these deals were finalised, we do know that John Crowley (Brooklyn) is set to direct the project.
The Goldfinch will follow Amazon’s successive co-distribution of Oscar-winning Manchester By The Sea and summer hit The Big Sick. The studio has recently taken up self-distribution with the likes of Landline and upcoming Wonder Wheel, but isn’t quite able to boast full independence. In good time.
For those itching to immerse themselves in The Goldfinch, the book is available to buy now at Amazon.
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