Actor-turned-indie filmmaker Campbell Scott has signed on to direct and star in an upcoming adaptation of the 1977 novel “A Book of Common Prayer” by Joan Didion. The story centers on two women in a fictional Central American country on the verge of revolution. One woman married into a powerful political family, the other has seen her marriage fall apart and her daughter run away with a group of Marxist radicals.
Campbell has been in the acting game for a long time, and was most recently seen as Peter Parker’s father in “The Amazing Spider-Man.” It is unclear what part he will play in ‘Prayer.’ As a director, he has made such films as “Final,” “Company Retreat,” and most notably “Off The Map,” an indie about a family of naturalists living in the New Mexico desert that was well-received by critics. It will be a jump for him to do something from recognizable source material – though from the synopsis, it sounds like it could be another intimate story.
Didion is known for her collections of nonfiction essays, particularly “Slouching Toward Bethlehem,” as well as memoirs like “The Year of Magical Thinking.” But more simply, she's regarded as one of the America's finest writers, and has been a massive influence on many, and no doubt people will be watching to see how this film develops. There will be some big expectations on Scott's shoulders, but here's hoping he can pull it off. [Variety]
