Jeff Bridges appears to have taken a lead on adapting the 1993 young adult science fiction novel The Giver. Variety reports that Bridges and producer Nikki Silver have purchased the rights to the Lois Lowry story and that Bridges may step in to play the title character.
Set in a distant future, the book tells of a society in which the entire range of human emotion has been eradicated by removing any trace of history. Only one individual in the society — called “the Giver” — is tasked with remembering the past in case it becomes necessary to make use of it. A twelve-year-old boy, Jonas, is tasked to become the next Giver in line and has his whole world thrown into question when he begins tutelage with the previous, elderly Giver.
“I originally thought of the role of the Giver as a vehicle for my father, the late Lloyd Bridges,” says the True Grit actor, who has been eyeing the project for some time, “however, at 61 years old I feel the time is right for me to do it.”
Vadim Perelman, the writer/director behind House of Sand and Fog, will provide the screenplay and, at one point, was looking at the project to direct. There is currently no word on whether his involvement in that capacity still remains a possibility.
The original book was followed by two sequels, Gathering Blue and Messenger, the latter of which was published in 2004.
