Cary Fukunaga has signed on to direct a film based on the real-life story of a man who hiked across America after the suicide of his teenage son, according to the website Deadline.
Jadin Bell, a 15-year-old high-school student from Oregon, killed himself after a period of homophobic bullying by schoolmates. His father, Joe, hit the road after Jadin’s death, planning a two-year hike during which he’d spread an anti-bullying message. Joe was killed halfway through his hike when he was struck by a truck in Colorado. The driver was charged with reckless driving. It’s thought he fell asleep at the wheel.
Fukunaga, who won an Emmy award for directing the first season of the HBO crime series True Detective, is also lined up to shoot It, based on Stephen King’s horror story about a malevolent shapeshifter. And Beasts of No Nation, his drama about a young boy who is forced to join a militia in an unnamed west African country, was recently picked up by Netflix, who bought the worldwide streaming and theatrical rights for $12m. The film stars Idris Elba and is based on the book by Uzodinma Iweala.
