While his CV is diverse, ranging from episodes of "Enlightened," "The Office," and "American Horror Story" to features like "Cedar Rapids," Miguel Arteta has shown he has a voice for tales of young people. He’s helmed the pilot episode of "Freaks & Geeks," guided double Michael Ceras through "Youth In Revolt," and last year experienced "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day."
Now Variety reports he’s going to take Elle Fanning to "All The Bright Places." Based on the YA novel by Jennifer Niven, who will also write the script, the story follows the bond formed between the wide-eyed Violet and the suicidal Theodore, in what sounds like a story where you’ll need to keep the Kleenex handy. Here’s the book synopsis:
Theodore Finch is fascinated by death, and he constantly thinks of ways he might kill himself. But each time, something good, no matter how small, stops him.
Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister’s recent death.
When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it’s unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to discover the “natural wonders” of their state, both Finch and Violet make more important discoveries: It’s only with Violet that Finch can be himself—a weird, funny, live-out-loud guy who’s not such a freak after all. And it’s only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them. But as Violet’s world grows, Finch’s begins to shrink.
No word yet on when production might begin, but it looks like things are rolling along in development. But for now, Fanning has three anticipated projects in the can: the drama "Three Generations," the Bryan Cranston-starring "Trumbo," and of course, Nicolas Winding Refn‘s "The Neon Demon."