Searchlight Acquires Annapurna’s ‘Nightbitch’ With Amy Adams, Marielle Heller To Direct

What will it take for Amy Adams to win Best Actress at the Oscars? The actress already has six nominations from performances in “American Hustle” and “Arrival,” among others, but she hasn’t managed to snag the prize yet. Maybe a team-up with director Marielle Heller on a dark comedy horror hybrid will do the trick.

Adams and Heller will work together for the first time on “Nightbitch,” and, wow, does this film sound intriguing. Based on Rachel Yoder‘s acclaimed debut novel, Adams stars as a mother who, as she raises her toddler in the suburbs, that she’s slowly transforming into a canine. Talk about a story that taps into the feral power of motherhood. Heller adapts Yoder’s novel from her own script, and her offbeat style fits this material well.

READ MORE: Amy Adams Is A Woman Turning Into A Dog For Annapurna’s Dark Comedy ‘Nightbitch’

Searchlight Pictures got a hold of the world rights for the Annapurna film before it even made it to sales at Cannes this week. Apparently, Searchlight’s wanted the film since Annapurna marketed it at Berlin, and outbid four other offers.

Heller previously worked with Searchlight on 2018’s “Can You Ever Forgive Me?”, another adaptation starring Melissa McCarthy as a misanthropic writer who forges letters from famous authors for a quick buck. After that, Heller directed “A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood,” inspired by a 1998 Esquire article about Mr. Rogers, where Tom Hanks played everyone’s friendly neighbor.

Meanwhile, Adams just finished work on “Disenchanted,” a sequel to the 2007 musical “Enchanted.” And she’s also been in “Dear Evan Hanson” and “The Woman In The Window” the last couple of years.

Talking to Deadline, Heller expressed excitement for both Yoder’s novel and the chance ot work with Adams. “Rachel Yoder’s book took my breath away. I haven’t felt this way about [a] book since I read The Diary of a Teenage Girl many years ago,” Heller said. “Rachel’s darkly hilarious tale of motherhood and rage made me feel seen. And adapting it with Amy Adams in mind has been the thing that has kept me going through the pandemic. I am so thrilled to be bringing this movie to life with wonderful partners in Anne Carey, Annapurna Pictures, and Searchlight. It is a dream come true.”

It’s way too early to predict a release date for “Nightbitch,” but expect the film to start shooting later this year.