Now that his directorial debut Submarine has had its moment in the spotlight, talented British/Nigerian, Richard Ayoade, is on to the next one (to quote Jay-Z).
He has at least 2 projects at some stage of development, announced over the last 6 to 8 months since Submarine's Stateside debut last summer, but it looks like this one will be his next.
First announced back in early 2011, Ayoade's follow-up to the critically-acclaimed Submarine will be an adaptation of Fyodor Dostoevsky‘s novella The Double: "A sort of doppelgänger tale, and funny, I think. Very funny. Dostoevsky never finished it to his satisfaction… So yes, we're going to dust that off… We'll do what Fyodor couldn't," he said about 8 months ago.
This morning brings word that Mia Wasikowska will join The Social Network's Jesse Eisenberg (who was cast last summer) to star in the film, which maybe further suggests that Ayoade will lean towards the dark comedic than the psychological drama.
In addition, Screen Daily reports that the film is due to start shooting in the UK this spring/summer.
The only Dostoevsky novel I've read is the voluminous Crime And Punishment; So I'm not very familiar with The Double, other than what's been written about it already; it's also one of his slimmer works.
The novel is more of a psychological drama/thriller, depicting one man's "schizophrenic break from reality," as his mental state gradually deteriorates. But it sounds like Ayoade intends to put a comedic spin on it.
A minor official named Goliadkin becomes aware of a mysterious doppelganger, a man who has his name and his face and who gradually and relentlessly begins to displace him with his friends and colleagues.
I actually have a copy of The Double in my to-read stash, so I'll probably get to it before the film is in theaters, which likely won't be until some time next year.
Ayoade is certainly off to a brilliant start; in addition to The Double, he has another project in development, titled The Apostles Of Infinite Love – a 2008 Black list script, written by Victoria Strouse, with Ben Stiller acting as producer again (he also produced Submarine).
Stay tuned…
