Following on from her starring role as Rey in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, it’s clear that Daisy Ridley is destined for big things. Now, it looks like she will be involved in another sci-fi franchise, with an article on The Hollywood Reporter stating that she has been cast to headline the film adaptation of Patrick Ness’s Chaos Walking series.
Taking place in a post-apocalyptic world, the plot follows the characters in a land where all living creatures can effectively ‘hear’ each other’s thoughts via a stream of images, known as ‘Noise’. While definitely not a straightforward concept, it sounds like an idea with potential.
In addition to having Ridley on board, it boasts an impressive team behind the scenes. The script was put together by the brilliant Charlie Kaufman (Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind, Being John Malkovich, Synecdoche New York, Anomalisa) and Jamie Linden (Money Monster, Dear John), and Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity, Edge Of Tomorrow) is attached to direct.
Moreover, it represents another bit of recognition for Patrick Ness, who has already seen A Monster Calls adapted for the big screen, as well as penning Doctor Who spinoff series Class. Must be good to be him at the moment.
Just to give you a flavour of what it’s about, here’s the synopsis for the first book in the series, The Knife Of Never Letting Go:
Todd Hewitt is the only boy in a town of men. Ever since the settlers were infected with the Noise germ, Todd can hear everything the men think, and they hear everything he thinks. Todd is just a month away from becoming a man, but in the midst of the cacophony, he knows that the town is hiding something from him — something so awful Todd is forced to flee with only his dog, whose simple, loyal voice he hears too. With hostile men from the town in pursuit, the two stumble upon a strange and eerily silent creature: a girl. Who is she? Why wasn’t she killed by the germ like all the females on New World? Propelled by Todd’s gritty narration, readers are in for a white-knuckle journey in which a boy on the cusp of manhood must unlearn everything he knows in order to figure out who he truly is.
A release date for Chaos Walking is yet to be announced. For all the latest movie news, pick up the new issue of SciFiNow.
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