Jake Gyllenhaal & Carey Mulligan Will Lead Paul Dano’s Directorial Debut 'Wildlife'

Paul Dano has worked with plenty of great directors and talented actors, and when it comes to that latter category, he’s worked his Rolodex to get one of his former co-stars to join his directorial debut, with an acclaimed actress also coming on board for what already sounds like a very promising project.

READ MORE: Daniel Radcliffe & Paul Dano Have A Surreal Fight For Survival In ‘Swiss Army Man’ [Review]

Jake Gyllenhaal (who starred with Dano in “Prisoners” and Bong Joon-Ho‘s upcoming “Okja“) and Carey Mulligan (who had a small role in “Brothers” with Gyllenhaal) have both signed up for “Wildlife.” The adaptation of Richard Ford‘s novel follows a teenager dealing with his parents’ dissolving relationship, and it’s probably safe to venture the actors will be playing that couple. Here’s the book synopsis:

When Joe Brinson was sixteen, his father moved the family to Great Falls, Montana, the setting for this harrowing, transfixing novel by the acclaimed author of Rock Springs. Filled with an abiding sense of love and family, and of the forces that test them to the breaking point, Wildlife is a book whose spare poetry and expansive vision established it as an American classic. 

Dano co-wrote the script for “Wildlife” with his partner Zoe Kazan, and cameras will start rolling in November. You can go ahead and place this on our list of anticipated movies for next year.