Ron Howard is looking to follow up the conspiracy chase nonsense of Inferno with something a little more sedate, but with likely more impact. Despite a hefty list of potential projects, he's adding an adaptation of JD Vance's memoir Hillbilly Elegy.
Howard and Imagine Entertainment partner Brian Grazer snapped up the rights to the bestseller after a quick bidding war and it's not hard to see why they might have leapt on the topical subject. Vance's tome follows his life growing up in America's Rust Belt and the struggles of white working class citizens as they deal with social and economic challenges.
For Vance, a strong work ethic and belief in education saw him apply himself, and end up enlisting in the Marines. After serving in Iraq, he attended Ohio State University and Yale Law School and now contributes to the likes of the National Review and CNN.
"Hillbilly Elegy is a powerful, true coming-of-age memoir by JD Vance," Imagine president Erica Huggins tells Variety. "Through the lens of a colourful, chaotic family, and with remarkable compassion and self-awareness, JD has been able to look back on his own upbringing as a 'hillbilly' to illuminate the plight of America’s white working class, speaking directly to the turmoil of our current political climate."
Despite its topicality, it might be a while before Howard gets to this one, as the movie still needs a writer. He's been busy as a producer recently, including on the incoming Dark Tower movie.