Following on from their success with undead comedy romp Zombieland and the upcoming Deadpool feature, screenwriters Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick are eyeing up new material for their next project. According to a report from Film Divider, the pair are said to be toying with the idea of another adaptation, George Saunders’ short story, Escape From Spiderhead. Dropping the start of the title for the punchier Spiderhead, it’s expected that the duo will adapt the story for their joint directorial debut.
Described by the outlet as “rich in both sci-fi ideas and relevant, sometimes confrontational observations on free will, rehabilitation, love and depression,” that thematic outline alone is enough to warrant further exploration. Saunders’ tale originally appeared in The New Yorker back in 2010, and is currently available to view in its entirety on their site.
Set inside an experimental prison, the story spirals out to include a slew of inmates receiving treatment with various new-fangled drugs. A snippet from the report outlines these pharmaceuticals as “Verbaluce, which increases verbal lucidity; Vivistif, which ramps up sexual sensation and stamina; and Darkenfloxx, which creates a profoundly black feeling that’s some miles deeper than utter dejection.”
With those kinds of basic components in place, there’s a massive canvas to explore with regards to the characters, their reactions and situations that arise out of drug usage. All in all, an exciting prospect for the two screenwriters.
While at this stage the news is still classed as a rumor, we’ll keep you posted when anything official lands on Spiderhead, including future casting announcements and press releases. Until then, let us know what you make of Reese and Wernick’s potential movie in the comments section down below.
