The first image from the adaptation of Z For Zachariah doesn’t look particularly post-apocalyptic, aside perhaps from Chris Pine and Chiwetel Ejiofor’s grubby/beardy faces. But then, it’s not supposed to be set in an industrial hellscape, with this initial image arriving via Variety.
Adapted from Robert C. O’Brien’s 1974 novel, which has long since become a staple for certain generations of secondary school students, the film finds Robbie playing Ann, a small-town girl who lives alone on a farm in a valley that boasts one of the few remaining pockets of safely breathable air following a catastrophic nuclear war.
Her seeming isolation is rudely interrupted when two strangers – Pine and Ejiofor – arrive from the surrounding forest. That's a change from the book, where only one man turns up but refers to a previous conflict from a pre-apocalypse friend. From there, the drama builds… Compliance director Craig Zobel is behind this one, working from a script by Nissar Modi that was originally developed by Pall Grimsson.
There’s no word yet on when the film might be headed to screens, though it should make an appearance next year – and given that cast, expect the rights to be bought up quickly.