In a competitive situation, New Line has bought upcoming memoir Home Is Burning by Dan Marshall, with Miles Teller attached to star and Warm Bodies helmer Jonathan Levine set to direct.
The two will also produce the adaptation. In a sign of the actor’s growing clout and career, this makes it Teller’s second producing effort after The Life and Times of the Stopwatch Gang, which Universal optioned last month.
In Home Is Burning, which will hit shelves in October via Flatiron Books, Marshall recounts when he had to move home (into his parents’ basement) to help out after his mother faced a cancer relapse and his father was diagnosed with ALS. Marshall was a college grad, living in Los Angeles, when he had to return, reuniting with his four siblings — all colorful characters with life challenges of their own. Together, the siblings form Team Terminal, going to battle against their parents’ illnesses and occasionally each other.
The memoir has been described as full of wit and humor in spite of its difficult circumstances in a similar vein to the work of David Sedaris and Dave Eggers. Sources say there was a lot of interest in the film rights, with several other groups eyeing the project. But the memoir’s dark humor coupled with a serious subject matter seems tailor-fit for Levine’s sensibilities; the filmmaker garnered considerable acclaim when he made his cancer comedy 50/50.
Marshall will adapt his own book for the screenplay. The author, who makes his debut with Home Is Burning, is repped by CAA, Weed Literary, manager Brendan Bragg at Haven Entertainment, and Ziffren Brittenham LLP.
Michael Disco and Andrea Johnston are overseeing for New Line.
Teller was most recently seen in YA sequel Insurgent, and has completed work on Fox’s new Fantastic Four film (hitting theaters in August) and Bleed for This, in which he plays famed boxer Vinny Pazienza. He’s currently filming Todd Phillips‘ Arms and the Dudes with Jonah Hill. He’s repped by CAA and Stone, Meyer.
Levine wrote and directed 2013 zombie comedy Warm Bodies. He also helmed 2011’s 50/50which Joseph Gordon-Levitt and garnered Indie Spirit and Golden Globe nominations, 2008’s The Wackness (which won the Audience Award at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival) and horror pic All the Boys Love Mandy Lane. He’s repped by CAA and Weintraub Tobin.
