Though donning a black stovepipe and slaying bloodsuckers in Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter didn’t land Benjamin Walker on the A-list in the manner that some had expected, the actor appears to have another chance at breakout stardom, now that he’s been tapped to lead Nicholas Sparks adaptation The Choice.
Lionsgate is behind the adaptation of Sparks’ 2007 novel, which will be the first to emerge from the bestselling author’s own Nicholas Sparks Productions, where he spent time developing the project before handing it over to the studio. It centers on two neighbors in a coastal town, Travis Parker and Gabby Holland, who begin a passionate romance that is tested by many major life events over the course of one eventful decade.
Walker’s star has been on the rise over the past few years, and his schedule includes such buzzy projects as Ron Howard’s Heart of the Sea, action-adventure fantasy The Moon and the Sun and Groundhog Day-esque thriller 2:22. Howcver, perhaps none of those has the potential to build as much of a fanbase for Walker as The Choice does. Such A-listers as Ryan Gosling, Rachel McAdams, Amanda Seyfried, Channing Tatum, Zac Efron and Taylor Schilling have all previously benefitted from starring in Nicholas Sparks adaptations, and there’s no reason to suspect that Walker won’t be similarly aided by this one.
No word on which actress will be toplining alongside Walker, but Ross Katz (Adult Beginners) has locked down the director’s chair. He’ll be working from a script by Bryan Sipe (the upcoming Demolition).
No release date has yet been set for The Choice, but expect to see it next year. This fall already has its requisite Sparks adaptation set – James Marsden, Michelle Monaghan, Liana Liberato and Luke Bracey will be leading The Best of Me, which opens October 17th.
