Gary Ross to Write New Jennifer Lawrence 'East of Eden' Adaptation

[Batman1980]

Gary Ross has signed on to write East of Eden, the new adaptation of the John Steinbeck novel that has Jennifer Lawrence attached to star.

Brian Grazer and Imagine Entertainment are producing for Universal Pictures and Ross is already attached to direct. Imagine's Anna Culp is executive producing.

Set in California's Salinas Valley prior to World War I, the 1952 novel told of two families over the course of two generations, loosely alluding to the Biblical tale of Cain and Abel, focusing on a father, his two sons, and the children's mother whom they thought was dead.

PHOTOS: 11 Biggest Book-to-Big Screen Adaptations of the Last 25 Years

The book was famously adapted as a 1955 James Dean movie directed by Elia Kazan. That movie focused on the second half of Steinbeck's book and on the second generation.

Universal first acquired the rights to the project in 2004 after the book was chosen for Oprah’s Book Club list. The option lapsed and the producer and studio had to go back to the estate to regain the rights.

Universal and Imagine reacquired the rights in September, this time with Ross attached to direct and Lawrence, whom Ross directed in the first Hunger Games, attached.

Ross sitting down behind the keyboard isn’t a big surprise as the last three film’s he’s directed – Hunger Games, 2003’s Seabiscuit and 1998’s Pleasantville – he’s also written.

Ross is repped by CAA and attorney Alan Wertheimer.

Source - http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/new...ennifer-682868