Anne Hathaway is, according to a story at The Hollywood Reporter, making plans to both star in and produce Working Title and Focus Features’ upcoming big screen adaptation of Charlotte Rogan’s recent novel The Lifeboat. Published in 2012, the tome is officially described as follows:
It is the summer of 1914 and Europe is on the brink of war, but Grace Winters future finally seems secure as she and her new husband set sail for New York, where she hopes to win over a disapproving and status-conscious mother-in-law. When a mysterious explosion sinks their ship, Grace is thrust into a lifeboat by a quick-witted crew member, who climbs in after her even though the boat is already filled beyond capacity.
As the weather deteriorates and the passengers are forced to choose sides in a brewing power struggle, Grace realizes that her survival could depend on whether she backs the ruthless but experienced John Hardie or the enigmatic but increasingly forceful Ursula Grant. Over the course of three perilous weeks, the lifeboat passengers plot, scheme, gossip and console one another while questioning their deepest assumptions about goodness, humanity and God.
Grace is finally rescued, only to be put on trial for her life. Unsure what to make of their client, Graces attorneys suggest she write her story down. The result is a page-turning tale of moral dilemmas, and also a haunting portrait of a woman as unforgettable and complicated as the events she describes.
Hathaway recently won an Academy Award for her performance in Les Miserables.
William Broyles Jr. will executive produce and provide the adapted screenplay for The Lifeboat with Tim Bevan, Suzan Bymel, Liza Chasin, Eric Fellner and Ben Forkner producing alongside Hathaway.
(Photo Credit: WENN.com)
