Florence Pugh’s upcoming project has secured major backing. Paramount Pictures won a competitive race to distribute the new fantasy movie, an adaptation of Matt Haig’s bestselling novel.
The deal, valued at $36 million, came up as the largest transaction at this year’s Cannes market. It places the philosophical fantasy feature at a studio known for backing director-driven work, though questions about its commercial prospects linger, given the current theatrical climate for prestige cinema.
Paramount secures distribution rights to The Midnight Library
Paramount edged out Focus Features and Sony, both of which had circled the project seeking North American rights and select international territories. The agreement is not yet finalised, with Paramount and StudioCanal still negotiating specific market splits. Under the current framework, StudioCanal retains control in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Benelux, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa (via Deadline)
That division reflects commercial logic. The novel found its strongest readership in England and continental Europe, territories where StudioCanal can exploit its established distribution infrastructure. Whether Paramount can replicate that success across North America remains uncertain.
Garth Davis, who got an Oscar nomination for Lion, will direct The Midnight Library. Pugh plays Nora Seed, a woman caught between life and death who discovers a library containing volumes of alternate existences she could have lived. Producers have described the project as a sweeping “love letter to life.”
The screenplay comes from Olivier Award winner Laura Wade and Tony nominee Nick Payne. Their theatrical backgrounds indicate an intention to preserve the novel’s introspective tone rather than reshape it into conventional blockbuster fare. Payne previously explored non-linear storytelling in his acclaimed play Constellations, while Wade’s work often examines societal expectations through intimate character studies.
Budgeted at $70 million, the production ranks among the most expensive European film undertakings in recent years. Pre-production begins this autumn, with principal photography scheduled for early next year.
Matt Haig’s book was released via Canongate in 2020 and became an unlikely juggernaut. It has sold 15 million copies globally, with translations into 56 languages. The book’s central exploration of regret and possibility struck a chord with people during the pandemic.
Originally reported by Devanshi Basu on ComingSoon.net.
