Focus Features has acquired The Fisherman, a supernatural horror adaptation based on John Langan‘s 2016 novel.
David Lowery (Mother Mary, A Ghost Story) is set to direct the feature and is co-writing the screenplay with Alex Ross Perry.
The project is being produced by Michael Bay, Brad Fuller, and Alex Ginno through Platinum Dunes, alongside Gary Dauberman and Mia Maniscalco, who are producing via their Coin Operated banner.
The story follows Abe and Dan, two widowers who bond over fishing trips in upstate New York as they work through their grief. Their latest excursion leads them to Dutchman’s Creek, an isolated location surrounded by local legends claiming visitors may be reunited with lost loved ones. Despite stern warnings about the area’s dark past, the pair press on and eventually encounter the mysterious supernatural entity known as Der Fisher.
First published in 2016, The Fisherman took home the Bram Stoker Award for Best Novel and has earned widespread recognition within the horror genre. The novel has also drawn praise from numerous prominent authors. Paul Tremblay described it as “A modern horror epic… Illusory, frightening, and deeply moving,” while Victor LaValle called it “A treasure. The kind of book you just want to snuggle up and shiver through.” Stephen Graham Jones also showed his love for the novel, writing, “John Langan is fishing for your sleep, for your soul. I fear he’s already got mine.” Langan also won a Bram Stoker award this year for his anthology Lost in The Dark and Other Excursions.
Additional details, including casting, production plans, and a release date, have yet to be announced.
