The Electric State is heading to the big screen.
According to Deadline, the Russo Brothers have bought the rights to The Electric State – an illustrated novel by Simon Stålenhag … and they’ve already nabbed Andy Muschietti for the director’s chair.
“Russo Brothers Studio has just won a heated bidding war for The Electric State, an illustrated novel from Simon Stålenhag,” they revealed. “Andy Muschietti, who directed one of the year’s biggest hits with It, is negotiating to direct the film.”
Andy Muschietti will reportedly produce the film alongside Barbara Muschietti as well as Russo Brother Studio principals, Joe and Anthony Russo. Mike Larocca will be executive producer on the project.
“At least four studios made offers and numerous producers and directors chased it.”
What is The Electric State?
A novel by Simon Stålenhag, it’s set in a low-tech, apocalyptic version of the American West… and sounds like an absolutely fascinating place full of drones and discarded tech.
Here’s the original novel’s synopsis:
“In late 1997, a runaway teenager and her yellow toy robot travel west through a strange USA, where the ruins of gigantic battle drones litter the countryside heaped together with the discarded trash of a high tech consumerist society in decline. As their car approaches the edge of the continent, the world outside the window seems to be unravelling ever faster as if somewhere beyond the horizon, the hollow core of civilization has finally caved in.”
How will that translate to the big screen?
For now, we’ll have to wait and see. But it’s an interesting project.