'The River At Night' Will Team Eli Roth With 'Scream' Writer Kevin Williamson
Eli Roth and Kevin Williamson, two people who have made a name for themselves in the horror genre, will team for the first time for The River at Night. An adaptation of the novel by Erica Ferencik, the story follows four friends struggling to survive in the Maine wilderness following a white water rafting accident. The group is eventually drawn to a camp, hoping to find help. But other problems quickly arise.
Horror fans might want to take note of this project. Deadline is reporting Roth, director of Hostel and more, and Williamson, the writer behind the Scream franchise, are shaping the River at Night adaptation, with Ben Fast and Roger Birnbaum producing. Up and coming screenwriter Melanie Toast is in talks to write. Erica Ferencik's novel focuses on Winifred Allen, a woman "stifled by a soul-crushing job, devastated by the death of her beloved brother, and lonely after the end of a fifteen-year marriage." In need of a serious break, Wini and three of her friends decide to take a girls' trip that does not go according to plan:
What starts out as an invigorating hiking and rafting excursion in the remote Allagash Wilderness soon becomes an all-too-real nightmare; a freak accident leaves the women stranded, separating them from their raft and everything they need to survive. When night descends, a fire on the mountainside lures them to a ramshackle camp that appears to be their lifeline. But as Wini and her friends grasp the true intent of their supposed saviors, long buried secrets emerge and lifelong allegiances are put to the test. To survive, Wini must reach beyond the world she knows to harness an inner strength she never knew she possessed.
Having not read the book, I'm not sure what happens here, but the vagueness strongly hints at something unsettling and horrific. The fact that Roth and Williamson, two horror movie pros, are involved suggests that as well. The plot also sounds vaguely similar to the fantastic horror film The Descent, about a woman who goes spelunking with her friends following the death of her daughter, only to run afoul of subterranean monsters.
"Kevin and I had long been a mutual admiration society, and when he told me this was Girls Trip meets Deliverance, I said, I'm in," said Roth, who is eyeing this as a potential directional project. "I've always been drawn to these clash of culture movies like Cabin Fever and Hostel, where they go for an adventure and everything turns against them and we see what they're made of. The book is fun and it's a smart thriller."
"I stumbled upon the book, saw the reviews and just ordered it and found it a terrific story of courage and survival. Turns out Eli likes rafting," added Williamson.
No word on when we'll see The River At Night movie, but we'll be sure to keep you apprised.