Julia Roberts is set to collaborate with acclaimed director James Gray in bringing to life an adaptation of Peter Swanson's forthcoming novel, "Kill Your Darlings," a soon-to-be New York Times bestseller. Scott Stuber's rejuvenated United Artists label, alongside its sister studio Amazon MGM Studios, has secured this high-profile project, complete with an impressive array of producers on board.
Roberts will take center stage and serve as a producer, joined by her partners Lisa Gillan and Marisa Yeres Gill under their Red Om Films banner. Additionally, Jane Rosenthal and Berry Welsh of Tribeca Studios, along with Stuber and his partner Nick Nesbitt, will also lend their producing prowess to the venture.
Published by HarperCollins, the novel won't hit shelves until June, but Amazon and Stuber wasted no time in snatching it up from the Hollywood market. The narrative, a murder mystery told in reverse chronological order, revolves around Tom and Wendy Graves, a couple married for over two and a half decades who present a picture-perfect façade but harbor a chilling secret beneath.
According to the book's description, the tale unfolds backward through pivotal moments in the couple's lives—their fiftieth birthday party, the purchase of their home, Jason's birth, and the enigmatic demise of a work colleague—all painting a picture of a marriage marred by a heinous act they concocted together years ago. As the story progresses, the details of Tom and Wendy's actions in their early twenties come to light, a secret that has kept them tethered through their lengthy marriage. However, its grip on them is weakening, and each begins to ponder whether it would be better to ensure their spouse takes their secrets to the grave.
Joel Gotler, who represents both the book and its author, will executive produce alongside Swanson. This project marks a reunion for Roberts and Red Om Films with Stuber, with whom she previously worked on "Leave the World Behind," a thriller that became a Netflix smash hit. The duo is also collaborating on "Panic Carefully," Sam Esmail's upcoming film starring and produced by Roberts, with Stuber among the producers. Her Red Om banner is also producing this movie, which is currently under production in London.
Stuber is currently developing several films with United Artists, including "The Girl in the Lake," an adult mystery thriller adapted from a book by Lauren Oliver, with Scarlett Johansson rumored to star. He is also producing Guillermo del Toro's "Frankenstein" for Netflix and "Deliver Me From Nowhere," a 20th Century Studios drama directed by Scott Cooper and starring Jeremy Allen White of "The Bear." Welsh and Rosenthal are producing the upcoming Amazon MGM Studios holiday film, "Oh. What. Fun.," directed by Michael Showalter and led by an ensemble cast featuring Michelle Pfeiffer.
Gray is renowned for his dramas such as "Armageddon Time," "Ad Astra," and "The Lost City of Z." He is currently in pre-production for his latest feature, "Paper Tiger," a crime thriller starring Adam Driver, Anne Hathaway, and Jeremy Strong. Gray is represented by CAA and Jackoway Austen. Roberts is represented by CAA and Hirsch Wallerstein.
