Taika Waititi in Talks to Direct Huckleberry Finn Reimagining James

Thor: Love and Thunder director Taika Waititi has set his sights on his next potential directorial project in the form of Universal Pictures‘ Huckleberry Finn reimagining, titled James.

Waititi is currently in early negotiations to helm the upcoming film adaptation based on bestselling author Percival Everett’s latest novel, which was just published last March 19. This marks the second time that one of Everett’s books will be adapted into a movie following the critical success of last year’s Oscar-nominated black comedy American Fiction, which was based on his 2001 novel Erasure.

What is the Huckleberry Finn reimagining about?

The official book synopsis reads: “When the enslaved Jim overhears that he is about to be sold to a man in New Orleans, separated from his wife and daughter forever, he decides to hide on nearby Jackson Island until he can formulate a plan. Meanwhile, Huck Finn has faked his own death to escape his violent father, recently returned to town. As all readers of American literature know, thus begins the dangerous and transcendent journey by raft down the Mississippi River toward the elusive and too-often-unreliable promise of the Free States and beyond.

“While many narrative set pieces of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn remain in place (floods and storms, stumbling across both unexpected death and unexpected treasure in the myriad stopping points along the river’s banks, encountering the scam artists posing as the Duke and Dauphin…), Jim’s agency, intelligence and compassion are shown in a radically new light.”

Inspired by Mark Twain’s classic novel, the upcoming project will be written and executive produced by Everett. Steven Spielberg has also signed on to executive produce through his Amblin Partners production banner. At the moment, the film currently has no cast and release date attached to it yet.