Julianne Moore, Finn Wolfhard To Star In Jesse Eisenberg's 'When You Finish Saving The World' Movie Based On His Audible Series
Several naturally curly-haired actors are putting their heads together for a buzzy comedy-drama, When You Finish Saving the World. Based on the Audible drama series written by and starring Jesse Eisenberg, the feature film is set to star Oscar winner Julianne Moore and Stranger Things star Finn Wolfhard, with Eisenberg at the helm as writer and director. And in one more piece of buzzy involvement, Eisenberg's Zombieland co-star Emma Stone is set to produce the film. Quite a star-studded affair for an adaptation of an Audible series that hasn't been released yet.
Deadline reports that Jesse Eisenberg is set to direct a feature film adaptation of his audiobook series When You Finish Saving the World, which is set to debut on Audible this year. The six-hour Audible series, which follows three family members as they work understand and connect with each other, stars Eisenberg as well as Finn Wolfhard, who is attached to star in the film as well. However, Deadline reports that the feature film "will have a slightly different focus than the audiobook."
The six-hour audiobook series is set over the course of three decades during the 21st century and is told through a series of interconnected monologues. Here is the synopsis for the Audible series:
When You Finish Saving the World is the moving and evocative story of three individuals working to understand each other and themselves: Nathan, a father learning to connect with his newborn son; Rachel, a young college student seeking to find her place in a relationship and in life; and Ziggy, a teenager hoping to figure out where he came from, and where he's headed. The six-hour audio experience shifts between time frames in these characters' lives, spanning a period of more than three decades.
Eisenberg stars in the Audible series, but will apparently only write and direct the feature film which is also produced by Moore and SNL writer-director Dave McCary. Kaitlyn Dever is also reportedly in talks to join the cast of the film. It's unclear whether Wolfhard will play the same character he voices in the audiobook, or whether Moore is taking the role that Eisenberg plays in the Audible series — with the main character becoming a mother instead of a father. The major change, of course, will be the format of interconnected monologues, which works in audio form but not so much on the big screen. I could see the adaptation process resembling that of Fleabag, which became an acclaimed fourth-wall breaking TV comedy after starting out as a one-woman monologue stage performance.
CAA Media Finance, which is financing the film, will represent the world distribution rights for When You Finish Saving the World.