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The Shallows writer Anthony Jaswinski has sold his latest spec script, HIGHWAY ONE, to DreamWorks in a reported near seven-figure deal. Denise DiNovi is attached to direct, with Lynn Harris and Matti Leshem producing under their Weimaraner Republic banner.
In a similar vein to The Shallows, the sleeper hit of the summer starring Blake Lively against a great white shark, this new story is another female-led tale of survival. It follows a woman, a mother and a retired soldier who suffers from both injuries and PTSD, as well as excelling in combat skills, who faces a new challenge at home when her daughter is kidnapped on a cross-country trip.
Harris and Leshem also produced The Shallows, and are citing this new project as the second in their goal to highlight more female-driven thrillers. It’s said they approached DiNovi to direct after seeing a cut of her directorial debut Unforgettable, which stars Rosario Dawson and Katherine Heigl and it’s set for an April 21 release from Warner Bros.
DiNovi started as a producer on films like Crazy, Stupid, Love and Focus. Coming up she has Unforgettable, as well as more producing credits on projects such as Warner Bros.’ adaptation of Beauty and the Beast titled Beauty and Fox 2000’s romantic comedy Click to Connect.
Having landed on the 2014 Black List, the 2014 Hit List, and the 2015 Young & Hungry List, Jaswinski has quickly made a name for himself as an established and accomplished screenwriter. Besides The Shallows, his previous spec Kristy was released in 2014 and he also wrote this year’s horror film Satanic. He has several other specs currently in development as well, including May You Live in Interesting Times at Voltage Pictures, Garden District at Dimension Films, and his pitch Variant is at Warner Bros.
DiNovi is repped by CAA.
Jaswinski is repped by Paradigm and Circle of Confusion.
—TO SEE ALL THE PROJECT DETAILS CLICK HERE—
Anya Crittenton | Associate Editor
This news was first reported by Deadline.
