Maybe none of us are truly “too good” for a Nicholas Sparks adaptation. At least, that’s the first thought to enter my mind upon reading a story from Twitch, which informs us that Keira Knightley — an actress who, okay, does mainstream work, but not this kind of mainstream work — has ended up in early talks for one his next films, Safe Haven. Lasse Hallström (The Cider House Rules, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen) has recently finished a script that he’ll direct, making this his second Sparks adaptation in only a few years (the first of which is Dear John).

Should an agreement come to pass, Knightley would chip in her talents as Katie, a mysterious woman who finds herself in the town of Southport, North Carolina. Upon an arrival, she’s caught in a love triangle and something sad from her part comes back and single tears are shed and a light pop song plays over the brightly-lit network television advertisements. You know how it goes.

All this being an inevitability, is it unfair to say, right off the bat, that I’d prefer Knightley makes something else? I know Hallström can get good work from his actors — and we even liked Salmon Fishing, too — but throwing in his name would, personally, almost feel equivalent to saying that Dear John is something we all want again.

You can read a full plot synopsis below (via Amazon):

“When a mysterious young woman named Katie appears in the small North Carolina town of Southport, her sudden arrival raises questions about her past. Beautiful yet self-effacing, Katie seems determined to avoid forming personal ties until a series of events draws her into two reluctant relationships: one with Alex, a widowed store owner with a kind heart and two young children; and another with her plainspoken single neighbor, Jo. Despite her reservations, Katie slowly begins to let down her guard, putting down roots in the close-knit community and becoming increasingly attached to Alex and his family.

But even as Katie begins to fall in love, she struggles with the dark secret that still haunts and terrifies her . . . a past that set her on a fearful, shattering journey across the country, to the sheltered oasis of Southport. With Jo’s empathic and stubborn support, Katie eventually realizes that she must choose between a life of transient safety and one of riskier rewards . . . and that in the darkest hour, love is the only true safe haven.”

Are you also put-off by Knightley leading a Sparks adaptation?