Brad Pitt to Star in Long-Awaited Movie Adaptation of Booker-Nominated Novel After 25 Years

Brad Pitt is joining forces with director Edward Berger for the movie adaptation of the novel “The Riders.

1994 saw Tim Winton’s novel, a contender for the esteemed Booker Prize, unfold the journey of father Fred and his 7-year-old daughter Billie, who are desperately trying to find Fred’s missing wife, Jennifer. The narrative commences as the family migrates from Ireland to Australia, but tragically, Jennifer fails to join them. In an attempt to unravel the mystery surrounding Jennifer’s sudden disappearance without a trace, Fred and Billie embark on a journey across Europe.

Brad Pitt Leads the Cast of The Riders

As a fervent advocate, I’m thrilled to share that starting in 2026, Berger will be filming The Riders on location across various European nations. A24 has stepped up to support this project, funding and distributing the cinematic adaptations of the literature, having recently triumphed with their Oscar-winning period drama, The Brutalist. Legendary director Ridley Scott will be producing The Riders, based on a script penned by talented writer David Kajganich, who has previously worked on Bones and All and Suspiria.

In 2014, the stage version of “The Riders” was transformed into an opera in Australia. A movie adaptation has been under development with different filmmakers and actors since the year 2000. Initially, Sam Worthington from “Avatar” was to star in one of the early adaptations, and production was planned for 2014; however, the project ultimately failed to materialize.

The Riders Received Huge Acclaim for its 1994 Literary Release

Tim Winton’s Mystery Novel Was in Contention for Multiple Prestigious Literary Prizes

In due course, it was announced that Liam McIntyre, Pixie Davies, and Richard E. Grant would take leading roles in the film The Riders. Jahmil X. T. Qubeka (director of Sew the Winter to My Skin) was chosen to direct, but unfortunately, that version did not materialize. Instead, it was Scott Free Productions, owned by Ridley Scott, who acquired the rights in 2018. Later on, Joe Kajganich joined the team as a scriptwriter, but production was delayed until Brad Pitt and Dede Gardner became involved in adapting Winton’s novel into a movie.

Recenty, Pitt was the one responsible for bringing director Bong Joon Ho’s science fiction film to life, with Robert Pattinson assuming various roles alongside Naomi Ackie and Steven Yeun. In the near future, he will take on the lead role in Joseph Kosinski’s upcoming movie about Formula One racing, F1. Here, Pitt portrays an ex-Formula One driver who has been injured, choosing to return from retirement to coach a gifted up-and-coming racer (Damson Idris).

He is also preparing to rejoin forces with writer-director David Ayer on the upcoming adventure film, titled “Heart of the Beast.” This movie revolves around a former Navy SEAL’s mission to readjust to civilian life alongside his retired battle dog after a disastrous incident in Alaska’s wilderness. Ayer has hinted that “Heart of the Beast” will be an authentic throwback to classic Hollywood action films.

In March, Ayer mentioned that they will soon be in front of the camera again. He also shared that he’s working on another collaboration with Brad, and all he can reveal is it will be an exciting old-school style adventure movie. This is a cinematic tradition that Hollywood has mastered for years, and he aims to revive this classic storytelling approach focused on adventures.

The Riders Faced a Long Journey to the Screen

• Susie Brooks-Smith wrote the first film adaptation of Tim Winton’s book in the early 2000s but eventually abandoned the project.
• Various directors were attached to the movie version of The Riders over the years, including The Dry and The Boys‘ Robert Connolly and Hans Fabian Wullenweber (A Death Sentence).
• The failed adaptations were due to film in far flung locations such as Croatia, Budapest and Dublin at various points over the past 25 years.

As a passionate film enthusiast, even with Brad Pitt’s hectic acting and producing commitments, director Ayer claimed that the making of “Heart of the Beast” felt remarkably effortless for him.

“To be honest, [Brad] was the first and only actor we went out to,” the filmmaker confirmed.

“All I can say is it’s just going to be a classic old-school adventure movie.”

Speaking about the director of “The Riders,” Berger, this year his religious drama garnered eight Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, and acting recognition for Isabella Rossellini and Ralph Fiennes. Peter Straughan, the screenwriter, won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay. Berger was himself recognized in the Best Director category at the BAFTA Film Awards, the Golden Globes, and the Directors Guild of America Awards.

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2025-04-28 21:11