Paul Verhoeven Returns to Hollywood with The Surrogate
Posted 05.29.09 by reelz
According to Cinema Blend, Paul Verhoeven (Robocop, Basic Instinct, Starship Troopers) has signed with 20th Century Fox to direct the big-screen adaptation of Kathryn Mackel's The Surrogate. This marks Verhoeven's return to Hollywood fare after directing the critically acclaimed 2006 Dutch-language movie Black Book and the period piece The Winter Queen, which is still in production.
Mackel's novel tells the story of the Dolans, a couple struggling to bear a child. They find a surrogate mother in Sable, a computer expert who convinces the couple to let her into the family. Sable, however, has a shady past that becomes more of a danger as the pregnancy progresses. The cover of the novel labels it as a "Christian Chiller," although it's unclear if the religious and supernatural elements of the story will translate to the big-screen adaptation.
Ralph Winter, who oversaw the X-Men movies (including the recent X-Men Origins: Wolverine), is producing The Surrogate along with Deborah Giarratana, Robin Guthrie and Susana Zepeda. The current draft of the script was written by Roderick Taylor and Bruce Taylor. No casting decisions or release dates have been announced.