Well, it seems a project that’s been kicking around for the past few years at Summit Entertainment is finally beginning to move forward. The film, “If I Stay,” which is based on the young adult novel of the same name, was at one point set to star Dakota Fanning with Brazilian filmmaker Heitor Dhalia attached to direct. Now, documentary filmmaker R.J. Cutler will get to try his hand at the project, making it his first narrative feature. Chloe Moretz is attached to star.
The novel follows Mia, a musically gifted 17-year-old girl who winds up in a coma after a horrific car accident. While in the coma, she has an out-of-body experience where memories begin to flash before her eyes and we explore the teenager’s life through her passion for music and her relationships with family, friends, and her boyfriend. With the "Twilight" series having officially ended, Summit will surely be looking to make a film that can capture that same reliable teenage fanbase that made that series such a huge hit.
It’s an interesting move for R.J. Cutler, who's been known till now for his documentary films and TV shows. He produced 1993’s “The War Room,” the former FX series “30 Days” that Morgan Spurlock hosted, and he’s an executive producer of the ABC drama “Nashville.” The Emmy and Peabody-award winner has also helmed docs such as “The September Issue” and the upcoming “The World According to Dick Cheney” which recently debuted at Sundance. He’s definitely got the credentials, but we’ll have to wait and see if his talents translate well into narrative feature filmmaking.
Meanwhile, Chloe Moretz signing on as the film’s lead just signifies how much her profile has continued to rise after years of turning in memorable supporting performances in such films as “Kick-Ass”, “Hugo,” and “Let Me In”. She has yet to prove that she can carry a film on her own, but that might soon change, since she plays the title role in Kimberly Peirce’s “Carrie” remake which hits theaters this October. [Variety]