Lasse Hallström has signed on to helm a feature film adaptation of Richard C. Morais’ The Hundred-Foot Journey at DreamWorks, Deadline reports. What’s more, the outlet claims that, although unconfirmed by the studio, Helen Mirren is eyeing a leading role.
The book, published in 2010, is officially described as follows:
A middle-aged chef, Hassan Haji, recounts his lifes journey, from his familys modest restaurant in Mumbai to his elegant restaurant in Paris where he has conquered the insular world of French haute cuisine. A tragedy at home in Mumbai pushes Hassans boisterous family into a picaresque journey across Europe, where they ultimately settle opposite a famous chef, Madam Mallory, in the remote French village of Lumière. After a series of hilarious cultural mishaps, the grand French chef discovers, much to her horror, that the young boy cooking in the cheap Indian restaurant across the way is a chef with natural talents far superior to her own. A culinary war ensues, full of plot twists, pitting Hassans Mumbai-toughened father against the imperious Madam Mallory, a battle royale that finally reveals to young Hassan his true destiny in life.
Full of eccentric characters, vivid settings, and delicious meals, Hassans charming tale lays bare the inner workings of the elite world of French haute cuisine. In the process, however, Hassan also discovers a truism that bedevils any man who has gone out into the world to make his mark: the true costs of rising to the top are only revealed later in life.
Best known for films like Chocolat and My Life as a Dog, Hallstrom most recently helmed Safe Haven with Josh Duhamel and Julianne Hough starring.
