“Where the Crawdads Sing” has found its director. Olivia Newman has been tapped to helm the adaptation of Delia Owen’s best-selling novel, The Hollywood Reporter confirms.
Boasting over 4.5 million copies sold since its August 2018 publication, “Where the Crawdads Sing” tells the story of Kya, a young woman who is abandoned by her family and “left alone to raise herself on a marsh outside a small North Carolina town. After she becomes a respected author, publishing reference books on the local flora and fauna of her marsh, she is accused of murder of her former boyfriend, the town’s golden boy.”
Reese Witherspoon selected the crime thriller for her book club. She and Lauren Neustadter are producing the pic via their Hello Sunshine banner for 3000 Pictures.
Lucy Alibar, who landed an Oscar nod for co-writing “Beasts of the Southern Wild,” is penning the crime thriller.
Newman made her feature debut with “First Match,” a 2018 drama that made its world premiere at SXSW. The Netflix title centers on a teenage girl who joins the boys wrestling team hoping to get her estranged father’s attention. Women made up 60 percent of “First Match’s” crew, and 75 percent of department heads were women.
“Dare Me” and “Chicago Fire” are among Newman’s small screen credits.
