Netflix has just courted another A-list filmmaker for a new marquee project. George Clooney is set to both direct and star in an adaptation of Good Morning, Midnight, the acclaimed novel by author Lily Brooks-Dalton. This marks the first feature that Clooney has signed on to direct since 2017’s Suburbicon. While the streaming service hasn’t yet revealed a release date, it’s noted that the project is already in pre-production. Filming is expected to begin in October.
According to a press release from Netflix, Mark L. Smith (The Revenant) adapted the screenplay. Oscar-winner Grant Heslov of Smokehouse Pictures is set to produce alongside George Clooney, with Anonymous Content and Syndicate Entertainment also on board the project. Clooney, coming fresh off his Catch-22 miniseries for Hulu, had this to say about his latest gig in a statement.
“Grant and I couldn’t be more excited to be involved with this incredible project. Mark is a writer we’ve long admired and his script is haunting. We’re thrilled to be working with our friends at Netflix as well.”
It was made clear in the Netflix announcement that the movie adaptation will not necessarily be titled Good Morning, Midnight. The post-apocalyptic tale centers on the parallel stories of Augustine (George Clooney), a lonely scientist in the Arctic who races to make contact with the crew of the Aether spacecraft as they try to return home to Earth. Scott Stuber, head of Netflix’s film division, had this to say in a statement.
“Having known and worked with George for over two decades, I can’t think of anyone better to bring this amazing story to life. The book is powerful and moving, and Mark’s adaptation is beautifully written. At its core, this is a story about human nature, and one that I know our global audiences will fall in love with, just like I did when I read it.”
George Clooney is still known best to casual moviegoers for his on camera roles in movies such as Syriana and Ocean’s Eleven. However, he’s had a solid career as a director as well, starting with Confessions of a Dangerous Mind in 2002. He followed that up with the Edward R. Murrow biopic Good Night, and Good Luck in 2005. Some of his other efforts, such as Leatherheads and The Monuments Men haven’t been quite as successful. Still, Clooney, when firing on all cylinders, can deliver a high-quality movie.
This is just the latest A-list filmmaker to make the jump to Netflix. Last year, Alfonso Cuaron very nearly won the streaming service a Best Picture Oscar for his Mexican-language drama Roma. Michael Bay is also currently in production on the high-dollar action flick 6 Underground, which stars Ryan Reynolds, with Guillermo del Toro also set to helm a darker take on Pinnochio for the service as well, just to name a few. Lily Brooks-Dalton’s book was initially released in 2016 and was named one of the best books of the year by the Chicago Review of Books. We’ll be sure to keep you posted as Netflix streaming service reveals any additional details.
