The Wrap has brought word that Yorgos Lanthimos, the Greek director behind the Oscar-nominated period drama The Favourite, is teaming with Imperative Entertainment to write and direct an adaptation of the 1964 crime novel, Pop. 1280.
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The novel, written by Jim Thompson and published by Gold Medal Books in 1964, follows Nick Corey, a sheriff in the small town of Potts County who is seemingly a harmless and simplistic man aimlessly protecting the area, but in reality is a manipulative serial killer who appeals to people’s worst instincts and preys upon them, getting away with multiple murders.
In addition to Imperative, Lanthimos and John Alan Simon of Discovery Productions, the film will be produced by Andrew Lowe and Ed Guiney of Element Pictures, who have handled Lanthimos’ English-language films, beginning with 2015’s The Lobster and continuing with The Killing of a Sacred Deer and The Favourite.
The adaptation will also be executive produced by Dan Friedkin and Bradley Thomas of Imperative, Micah Green and Dan Steinman of 30West, Elizabeth Karr of Discovery Productions, Ilene Feldman and Jon Levin.
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Lanthimos, who will be both writing and directing the adaptation, has been in the spotlight for the past year thanks to the historical drama The Favourite, which currently has 10 nominations at this year’s Academy Awards, which will take place on Sunday, including Best Picture and Best Director.
Thompson’s work has been adapted for film numerous times over the years, including the acclaimed 1956 Stanley Kubrick-directed crime noir The Killing, the 1972 Bonnie-and-Clyde-esque crime thriller The Getaway and its 1994 remake and the 1976 crime drama The Killer Inside Me and its 2010 remake, which was the most recent adaptation of a Thompson novel.
