Focus Features has landed the rights to the bestselling supernatural horror novel The Fisherman by John Langan. David Lowery, the director of the recently released psychodrama Mother Mary, is set to direct and co-write the horror film adaptation of The Fisherman alongside Alex Ross Perry.
For this project, two major names in the horror genre are teaming up. Michael Bay, Brad Fuller, and Alex Ginno of Platinum Dunes—the banner behind A Quiet Place and The Purge films—are producing the movie alongside Gary Dauberman, writer of New Line’s It and Annabelle films, and Mia Maniscalco, who are producing through their company, Coin Operated.
The novel, published in 2016, follows Abe and Dan, two widowers who become friends and go fishing together in New York to cope with their grief. One day, Dan suggests they visit an isolated and mysterious place called Dutchman’s Creek, which is said to allow people to see their loved ones again. However, their trip takes a terrifying turn when they encounter the mysterious Fisherman.
The novel, and now the film adaptation, are described as a blend of cosmic horror and folk horror, making it a natural companion to another project Lowery currently has in development, Death in Her Hands, an adaptation of Ottessa Moshfegh’s eerie 2020 novel, with Tilda Swinton attached to star.
David Lowery is best known for his work across a wide range of genres, as the filmmaker has consistently avoided being confined to a single style. He wrote and directed the modern Western romantic drama Ain’t Them Bodies Saints, starring Casey Affleck and Rooney Mara, and later made the acclaimed fantasy drama A Ghost Story. He also directed Disney’s Pete’s Dragon (2016) and Peter Pan & Wendy (2023), while earning widespread acclaim for the adult-themed medieval fantasy The Green Knight, released in 2021.
Lowery most recently directed Mother Mary, a musical drama starring Anne Hathaway alongside Hunter Schafer, FKA Twigs, and Alba Baptista, among others. He has also worked within the Star Wars universe, directing episodes of the Disney+ series Skeleton Crew.
Meanwhile, Michael Bay is also working on another project, a war film for Universal based on Operation Epic Fury. Best known for directing the Transformers franchise, Bay is also attached to Invisible Narratives’ upcoming Skibidi Toilet movie.
Platinum Dunes is currently in production on A Quiet Place Part III, with John Krasinski returning as both writer and director. Last year, the company was also involved with Anaconda, Sony’s reimagining of the classic horror film, and the Meghann Fahy thriller Drop.
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