While it’s technically been half-a-decade since we last saw a feature film from Jane Campion, the New Zealand-born director gave us something above-and-beyond expectations with the gripping mini-series Top of the Lake. As she’s currently off to France to pick the Palme d’Or, among other prizes, at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival, we’ve now been clued in on what her next film will be.
Revealed in a Guardian profile, she says she’s “on the verge of closing a deal” to next direct an adaptation of Rachel Kushner‘s acclaimed novel The Flamethrowers. Working with producer Scott Rudin, the film tells the story of a woman in the 1970’s New York City art scene (and involved in the motorcycle racing world). Coming off high praise after a release last year, Amazon says, “The Flamethrowers is an intensely engaging exploration of the mystique of the feminine, the fake, the terrorist. At its center is Kushner’s brilliantly realized protagonist, a young woman on the verge. Thrilling and fearless, this is a major American novel from a writer of spectacular talent and imagination.”
We hope this one gets off the ground shortly and in the meantime, one can get a deeper glimpse into the director’s work with Kevin Pollak’s 80-minute interview from around the release of her last film, Bright Star. Discussing her time at Cannes, career, and everything in between, check it out below in full.
What do you think of Campion’s next film?