Anthony Minghella (
Cold Mountain) has committed to write and direct a feature for Miramax Films based on British author Liz Jensen's forthcoming novel
The Ninth Life of Louis Drax, according to Variety.
The novel is a surreal psychological thriller about an accident-prone 9-year-old problem child lying in a deep coma and the doctor who cares for him.
"(Producer) Sydney (Pollack) and I were delighted that our partners at Miramax moved so quickly and effectively to acquire the rights to this tremendous material for us," Minghella said.
"Liz Jensen has crafted a taut psychological thriller that provides the ideal framework for a riveting motion picture," said Harvey Weinstein. "Miramax has a longstanding relationship with Anthony and Mirage, and 'The Ninth Life of Louis Drax' offers the perfect source material for our continued collaboration."
Sydney Pollack said, "This is a book that we are so excited about here at Mirage. We are thrilled to be working with Miramax on this project which is clearly very special and unique."