'10 Cloverfield Lane' Writers Adapting YA Novel 'Scythe'

One of last year's biggest surprises in the movie world was 10 Cloverfield Lane, the thriller set in the same universe as 2008's Cloverfield. With very little marketing, the film was a huge financial success, and thanks to its compelling performances, the film was a hit with audiences and critics, making many year-end lists. The performances were only possible thanks to the razor sharp script by Josh Campbell and Matt Stuecken. The writing pair will apply their skills to adapting the Young Adult novel Scythe for a feature film.

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The novel is set in a distant future where all known viruses and diseases have been eradicated, exponentially increasing the lifespan of people around the world. However, without anyone dying from natural causes, the assigned "Scythes" are responsible for killing members of the population to make sure resources remain for the rest of the population.

Universal Pictures will be adapting the novel, written by Neal Shusterman. The author's novel released prior to Scythe, Challenger Deep, received the National Book Award for Young People's Literature. Previous works of the author have earned him the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award and the California Young Reader Medal.

10 Cloverfield Lane was the pair's first feature film writing collaboration, although Campbell worked as an editor on films like Blade II, Van Helsing, and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Stuecken has worked as a producer on films like G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra and The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor.

There's no word yet on when the film will go into production, but we eagerly await what the screenwriting duo will come up with.

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[H/T Deadline]