Erica Ferencik‘s 2017 novel The River at Night is headed to the big screen, Deadline reports today, as Miramax has acquired the rights to the book. “The project will be shaped by Kevin Williamson (Scream) and Eli Roth (Cabin Fever, Hostel, The House With a Clock in Its Walls),” the site notes, with Roth producing and *possibly* also directing.
In the novel…
“Stifled by a soul-crushing job, devastated by the death of her beloved brother, and lonely after the end of a fifteen-year marriage, Wini is feeling vulnerable. So when her three best friends insist on a high-octane getaway for their annual girls’ trip, she signs on, despite her misgivings. What starts out as an invigorating hiking and rafting excursion in the remote Allagash Wilderness soon becomes an all-too-real nightmare; a freak accident leaves the women stranded, separating them from their raft and everything they need to survive.”
“When night descends, a fire on the mountainside lures them to a ramshackle camp that appears to be their lifeline. But as Wini and her friends grasp the true intent of their supposed saviors, long buried secrets emerge and lifelong allegiances are put to the test. To survive, Wini must reach beyond the world she knows to harness an inner strength she never knew she possessed.”
“Kevin and I had long been a mutual admiration society, and when he told me this was Girls Trip meets Deliverance, I said, I’m in,” Roth told Deadline. “I’ve always been drawn to these clash of culture movies like Cabin Fever and Hostel, where they go for an adventure and everything turns against them and we see what they’re made of. The book is fun and it’s a smart thriller.”
Williamson and Ben Fast will produce through their Outerbanks banner and Roth is producing with Roger Birnbaum. Melanie Toast is in talks to write the adaptation.