British filmmaker Joe Wright has his next film lined up, and it’s quite a departure from his usual fare. Deadline reports that Wright will helm an adaptation of Australian writer Tim Winton‘s 2024 novel “Juice,” a post-apocalyptic thriller set after a climate change disaster. Working Title will produce the pic.
READ MORE: ‘Alignment’: Joe Wright’s Next Directing Gig Is A Thriller About An Out Of Control AI
For those unfamiliar with “Juice,” the book follows a young father recruited into a top-secret resistance organization that targets the wealthy class responsible for the global catastrophe everyone now lives in. But the man’s mission goes wrong, and now he’s on the run from everyone to both survive and return to his family.
Emmy-winner Abi Morgan will adapt Winton’s “Juice” for the big screen, the second of the novelist’s books to be adapted for the big screen. The other would be his 1994 novel “The Riders,” Edward Berger‘s next film; Brad Pitt stars in that one, with A24 releasing it in theaters later this year. Other novels by Winton, a two-time Booker Prize shortlister, include “Cloudstreet,” “Breath,” “The Turning,” and “Blueback.”
“I couldn’t be more thrilled that Tim Winton has entrusted us with his extraordinary epic,” Wright said in a press statement about “Juice.” “The story is both a thrilling modern family saga and an urgent call to action. I cannot wait for audiences to experience it on the big screen.” Winton added, “I’m pleased to know a filmmaker of Joe Wright’s caliber has chosen to adapt “Juice” for the screen. His capacity to portray the turmoil and the turning points of nations and peoples as well as private individuals distinguishes his work as a director, and I’m confident that “Juice” is in good hands.”
“Juice” will be Wright’s first feature since 2021’s musical “Cyrano,” but he’s been busy since then helming his TV series “Mussolini: Son Of The Century,” which debuted at the Venice Film Festival in 2024. Wright also directed a pair of episodes for Showtime/Paramount+‘s “The Agency” in this interim between film projects.
So will Wright direct “Juice” or “Alignment,” an AI thriller announced last year, first? There’s been little buzz for “Alignment” since that project first made headlines in February 2025, so “Juice” feels like the safer bet. As for a leading man for the survival thriller, any number of rugged A-Listers would be perfect for the role. Stay tuned on who gets cast.
