Director Rupert Wyatt (Rise of the Planet of the Apes) has once again joined with Chernin Entertainment (Oblivion, Rise of the Planet of the Apes) to direct the crime thriller Night Film.  Based on bestselling author Marisha Pessl’s upcoming novel of the same name, Night Film follows the story of a journalist named Scott McGrath who uncovers some unexpected details when investigating the alleged suicide of a beautiful young woman.  Pessi’s book will be released in August.  The film’s release date is TBA.  Hit the jump for more details. 

Having already worked with Wyatt in Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Chernin Entertainment has agreed to produce Night Film.  Personally, I had low expectations going to see Wyatt’s 2011 part-remake/part origins story Planet of the Apes feature starring James Franco.  However, upon viewing the film, I was surprisingly impressed by how exciting and enjoyable it was.  Consequently, I have high expectations that Wyatt will soon prove himself a multifaceted director by crafting a suspenseful, enjoyable crime noir.  Heat Vision reports that Kerry Foster brought the book into the company and will oversee the project.  However, seeing as the film does not have an official writer or studio yet, it may take some time before the project is fully underway.

Here is the official plot synopsis for Night Film (via Amazon):

On a damp October night, beautiful young Ashley Cordova is found dead in an abandoned warehouse in lower Manhattan. Though her death is ruled a suicide, veteran investigative journalist Scott McGrath suspects otherwise. As he probes the strange circumstances surrounding Ashley’s life and death, McGrath comes face-to-face with the legacy of her father: the legendary, reclusive, cult-horror-film director Stanislas Cordova—a man who hasn’t been seen in public for more than thirty years.

For McGrath, another death connected to this seemingly cursed family dynasty seems more than just a coincidence. Though much has been written about Cordova’s dark and unsettling films, very little is known about the man himself.

Driven by revenge, curiosity, and a need for the truth, McGrath, with the aid of two strangers, is drawn deeper and deeper into Cordova’s eerie, hypnotic world. The last time he got close to exposing the director, McGrath lost his marriage and his career. This time he might lose even more.