Elle Fanning seems to be able to do it all, and this year alone she’s veered from the high gloss trash of Nicolas Winding Refn‘s “The Neon Demon” to Mike Mills‘ ode to the ’70s “20th Century Women” to Ben Affleck‘s upcoming gangster flick “Live By Night.” Now the actress is going a little Hitchcock on us.
Fanning is in talks to lead “Beware The Girl,” based on the YA novel by Teresa Toten. The story follows outsider Kate O’Brien who will do anything to climb the social ranks of her fancy New York prep school, becomes best friends with “it girl” Olivia, and finds her life turned upside down following the arrival of a new faculty member. Here’s the book synopsis:
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The Haves. The Have-Nots. Kate O’Brien appears to be a Have-Not. Her whole life has been a series of setbacks she’s had to snake her way out of — some more sinister than others. But she’s determined to change all that. She’s book-smart. She’s street-smart. And she’s also a masterful liar. As the scholarship student at the elite Waverly School in NYC, Kate has her work cut out for her: her plan is to climb the social ranks and land a spot at Yale. She’s already found her “people” among the senior-class “it” girls — specifically in the cosseted, mega-wealthy yet deeply damaged Olivia Sumner. As for Olivia, she considers Kate the best friend she’s always needed, the sister she never had.
When the handsome and whip-smart Mark Redkin joins the Waverly administration as head of fund-raising, he immediately charms his way into the faculty’s and students’ lives, becoming especially close to Olivia, a fact she’s intent on keeping to herself. It becomes increasingly obvious that Redkin poses a threat to Kate, too, in a way she can’t reveal — and can’t afford to ignore. Mark has his own plan for a bright future and never doubts that he can pull it off. How close can Kate and Olivia get to him without having to share their dark pasts?
Said to be in the vein of “Gone Girl” and “The Girl On The Train,” the project is still in early stages with no screenwriter or director attached yet. Until we know more, check out the video for Grouplove‘s “Good Morning Below” featuring an appearance by Fanning. [Deadline]