Danish director Susanne Bier has never been shy about traveling the world for her films. Her Oscar-winning "In A Better World" split time between Denmark and an African refugee camp. Her upcoming comedy "All You Need Is Love" is set in Italy, while past efforts have seen her journey to the United States ("Things We Lost In The Fire") and (partially) to India ("After The Wedding"), and Bier has lined up another effort that will see her returning to Africa.
The director has signed on to an adapation of the massive (over 600 pages), best-selling (1 million copies worldwide) tome "Cutting For Stone" by Abraham Verghese. The story is a sprawling one, centering on twin brothers, the product of a forbidden relationship between an Indian nun and British surgeon, who are born in an Ethiopian mission hospital. Orphaned after the death of their mother, both boys become doctors as well, and continue to work at the mission hospital, all as Ethiopia begins to come-of-age in the modern world.
Scott Teems ("That Evening Sun") will pen the screenplay, and he's been busy also adapting Stephen King's novella "The Breathing Method" as well also looking at Damon Galgut's novel "The Quarry" as his possible next feature effort. No word yet on when this might roll, but Bier also has a remake of the French thriller "Rapt" on the backburner. But clearly, Bier shows no signs of slowing down and continues to surround herself with great material. [Variety]
