A new screen adaptation of David Grubb’s Southern gothic novel The Night of the Hunter, which formed the basis of the famous 1955 noir film directed by Charles Laughton, is on the cards.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, filmmaker Scott Derrickson (Doctor Strange, Sinister) has been hired by Universal Pictures to direct the adaptation. Derrickson will co-write the screenplay with frequent collaborator C. Robert Cargill.
A noir thriller, The Night of the Hunter tracks the malicious progress of Harry Powell, a serial killer and self-described preacher in pursuit of a stash of money. In the process, he terrorizes the family, including the two young children, of his former cellmate. The terrifying character of Powell was portrayed by Robert Mitchum in the 1955 film version, considered an influential classic of film noir. It was the only film directed by Laughton, an esteemed British-American actor.
Derrickson is currently busing with The Black Phone 2, a sequel to his 2021 horror film starring Ethan Hawke.
