Netflix is developing a film adaptation of Gary Paulsen's classic 1987 young adult survival novel, Hatchet. The project will be written and directed by Derek Cianfrance, known for his work on films such as Blue Valentine and The Place Beyond the Pines. Andrew Mittman, whose company 1.21 produced Netflix's Wednesday, will produce the film.
The estate of Gary Paulsen has partnered with Netflix for the adaptation, marking the first film version of the novel since the 1990 TV movie A Cry in the Wind. Mittman reportedly pushed for the film after Netflix's recent survival movies, Apex and Thrash, each garnered over 36 million views.
Hatchet follows 13-year-old Brian Robeson, who becomes stranded alone in the Canadian wilderness after the pilot of his small plane suffers a fatal heart attack. Armed with only a hatchet his mother gave him, Brian must learn to survive by hunting, building shelter, and contending with his own thoughts and memories. The novel was a recipient of the Newbery Honor Award in 1988 and has spawned four sequels, including The River and Brian's Winter.
