GIRLS TRIP Meets DELIVERANCE in Eli Roth's Adaptation of THE RIVER NIGHT
Miramax is producing an adaptation of the survival novel The River at Night and they have brought on Eli Roth (Hostel) and Kevin Williamson (Scream) to develop it. Williamson will produce, Roth is looking to direct, and the script is coming from Melanie Toast (Shut In).
Not familiar with the story? Well, here’s a description:
Stifled by a soul-crushing job, devastated by the death of her beloved brother, and lonely after the end of a 15-year marriage, Wini is feeling vulnerable. So when her three best friends insist on a high-octane getaway for their annual girls’ trip, she signs on, despite her misgivings. What starts out as an invigorating hiking and rafting excursion in the remote Allagash Wilderness soon becomes an all-too-real nightmare; a freak accident leaves the women stranded, separating them from their raft and everything they need to survive. When night descends, a fire on the mountainside lures them to a ramshackle camp that appears to be their lifeline. But as Wini and her friends grasp the true intent of their supposed saviors, long buried secrets emerge and lifelong allegiances are put to the test. To survive, Wini must reach beyond the world she knows to harness an inner strength she never knew she possessed.
Roth talked to Deadline about the film and appropriately described it as Girls Trip meets Deliverance:
“Kevin and I had long been a mutual admiration society, and when he told me this was Girls Trip meets Deliverance, I said, I’m in. I’ve always been drawn to these clash of culture movies like Cabin Fever and Hostel, where they go for an adventure and everything turns against them and we see what they’re made of. The book is fun and it’s a smart thriller. As for working with Kevin Williamson, I was 22 and had written Cabin Fever and someone told me they read this new guy Kevin Williamson’s script Scary Movie. I took it home, read it on a bus going back to Newton, Mass., and thought, ‘Okay, this is what a real script looks like, it was so good. On my first meeting with him years ago I brought the Dawson’s Creek calendar I’d put in my apartment and he noticed that the only appointments were reminders to tape that show. He said it was the funniest, saddest thing he had ever seen, my empty life in Los Angeles.”
I’m not really a fan of most of Roth’s work, but this sounds like a story I’d enjoy watching unfold on the big screen and it’s the type of movie that will play to his strengths as a filmmaker. Williamson added:
“It was just sad and I remember suggesting he get a life. But we’ve been friends for years and always talked about working together. I stumbled upon the book, saw the reviews and just ordered it and found it a terrific story of courage and survival. Turns out Eli likes rafting.”
Does this sound like a movie that you’d be interested in watching?