Roman Polanski must be a big Robert Harris fan.
The legendary director had been, until a couple of months ago, working on a big-budget version of the British author’s novel, Pompeii, but left because of the impending actors’ strike and a restrictive deadline. But Harris’ writing must have stuck in Polanski’s mind, because today he signed on to direct The Ghost, an adaptation of Harris’ latest novel.
This one won’t have as big a budget, though. The Ghost is a political conspiracy thriller about a ghostwriter hired to write the memoirs of a former British Prime Minister who is, in no way whatsoever, based on Tony Blair.
During the course of his research, though, the ghostwriter discovers an international conspiracy and a whole host of secrets that put his life in danger. Although most of the action takes place in the former PM’s seafront winter retreat – but Polanski has proved before (Repulsion, Death And The Maiden, Cul-de-Sac) that he can wring tension out of a static location.
"I have been looking for a political thriller to direct for some time, and The Ghost could not be more perfect," Polanski told Variety. "Robert has constructed a novel with such suspense, it is hard to put it down."
Harris will write the screenplay with Polanski, with shooting set to start in Europe next autumn.