Fresh off penning a treatment for Gareth Edwards’ Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, writer, producer and director Chris Weitz is set to adapt the screenplay for gay rights drama 21 Years to Midnight.
In the works over at Fox 2000, the picture has been teetering on the brink of development since June of last year, when the U.S. Supreme Court effectively ruled the legalization of same-sex marriage. Centering on the landmark case of Obergefell v. Hodges, 21 Years to Midnight will be brought to the big screen by way of Debbie Cenziper’s yet-to-be-published nonfiction book, with Wyck Godfrey and Marty Bowen (The Fault in Our Stars) producing on behalf of Fox 2000.
Anchoring the story is Jim Obergefell, who married John Arthur back in 2013 only three months before his death. Following the ceremony, Obergefell sued the state of Ohio for refusing to list him as Arthur’s spouse on the death certificate.
Though it is yet to hit store shelves – Cenziper is targeting a June release date – the author’s rendition of Obergefell’s plight struck a chord with publisher HarperCollins, eventually leading to Fox 2000 nabbing the rights early on.
Now, Chris Weitz will help mould that vision into shape, and today’s news marks a reunion for both studio and scribe given that Weitz is also attached to The Mountain Between Us. In terms of the writer-director’s past credits, Weitz wrote a treatment for both Cinderella and the aforementioned Rogue One, fast becoming one of Hollywood’s most sought-after screenwriters in recent years.
21 Years to Midnight is still to enter production in earnest. With Chris Weitz in place though, expect Fox 2000 to begin searching for its leading cast soon.
