Noah Hawley Teams Up With Author Matthew Baker For FX TV Pilot And Fox Searchlight Movie

Noah Hawley continues to be a busy man on both the small screen and the big screen. The Fargo and Legion creator is readying for his feature directorial debut with the upcoming Natalie Portman-starring Lucy in the Sky, and his next two projects seem like equally high-concept endeavors. The next two Noah Hawley new projects are a feature film under Fox Searchlight and a TV pilot for FX, both in collaboration with author Matthew Baker. The author's short stories that have sparked major bidding battles in Hollywood over the past year, and both the film and TV pilot will be based off of those stories.Deadline reports that Hawley and Baker are teaming up for the feature film Lost Souls, which has just been set at Fox Searchlight, and for the FX pilot Why Visit America, which Baker is set to write while Hawley executive produces. Both are based on Baker short stories.

"Matthew is the rarest of writers, one who can turn complex, high-concept stories into sublime character-driven psalms," Hawley said in a statement following the announcement of the two project. "His work is both highly original and refreshingly human."

Both projects seem like the kind of cerebral, high-concept storytelling that Hawley gravitates to, particularly Lost Souls, which is set in a world in which some babies are born without souls. Hawley is not confirmed to direct Lost Souls, but it's the kind of feature film that would be an intriguing follow-up for Hawley. Here is the summary per Deadline:

Lost Souls is set in a world in which some babies are born without souls. A young expectant mother is sent to an unusual wellness center in the desert, with the hopes that it will improve her chances of delivering a healthy baby.

Meanwhile, Why Visit America maintains Hawley's long-running partnership with FX, where he's created award-winning series like Fargo and Legion. The series will be Baker's first time writing for TV, which could make for an interesting combination as well. Here's the log line for Why Visit America:

Feeling the country has lost its way, the population of a tiny Texas town decide to secede. When the outside world fails to take notice, they use their new freedoms to redefine their lives and relationships.

Baker's short stories have become hot packages in Hollywood recently, with Netflix beating out eight competitors for Life Sentence, with Matt Reeves producing while the short The Appearance, sold to Makeready. However, it seems like Baker has found a solid partner in Hawley, who is set to produce four of Baker's short stories total.

"Noah is one of the greatest magicians alive," Baker said of Hawley. "Every story that he creates is like a carefully crafted magic trick that's designed to astonish and dazzle you while simultaneously defying all explanation. He's a truly visionary storyteller, and I'm honored and delighted to be working on so many projects together."