Reese Witherspoon’s company to bring ‘Where the Crawdads Sing’ to the screen

REESE Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine are producing a big screen adaptation of ‘Where the Crawdads Sing’.

The ‘Big Little Lies’ creator and her production company has been tapped to turn Delia Owens’ bestselling novel into a feature film after she lauded the literature in her own Reese’s Book Club.

Fox 2000 have acquired the rights to the book under the guise of Elizabeth Gabler, who has turned titles including ‘The Fault in Our Stars’ and ’The Devil Wears Prada’ into successful movies.

Explaining what drew her to the job, Reese said: “With a jawdropping mystery, stunning Southern setting, and endlessly fascinating female heroine at its centre, I loved this book the moment

“I read it and am so excited to join forces with Elizabeth and her team to bring Delia’s truly moving page-turner to the screen.”

Elizabeth - who will handle production along with Fox 2000’s Erin Siminoff - commented: “I knew and loved Delia’s writing so when I saw that Reese’s Book Club was recommending her new book, I started reading it right away. It is absolutely exquisite, so I immediately reached out to Reese and Lauren and said I wanted to bring it to life on film alongside them.

“We at Fox 2000 have an incredible synergy with Reese, Lauren, and their team at Hello Sunshine, and I am elated that we can once again be partners in the creation of yet another extraordinary film from an outstanding literary property.”

The crime thriller follows a young woman named Kya, who is forced to fend for herself after being abandoned by her family.

Things turn for the worse when she not only loses her boyfriend, but becomes one of the suspects in his death.

Lauren Levy Neustadter joins Reese in producing under Hello Sunshine. It’s not surprise that Reese has landed the job as her production company is all about empowering females.

Hello Sunshine also has an adaptation of Celeste Ng’s ‘Little Fires Everywhere’ in the works with Reese and Kerry Washington in leading roles.

Plus ‘Are You Sleeping’, executive produced by and starring Octavia Spencer.

— BANG Showbiz