Fox Searchlight acquires rights to 'Wild' with Reese Witherspoon

Fox Searchlight Pictures has acquired the worldwide rights to distribute the film adaptation of Cheryl Strayed’s Wild, starring Reese Witherspoon. The best-selling memoir follows Strayed, still reeling from the death of her mother and the failure of her marriage, as she undertakes a pretty epic hike (1100 miles!) on the Pacific Crest Trail from the Mojave Desert to Washington State. Not only is she alone, she’s also an inexperienced hiker. It’s the anti-Eat, Pray, Love.

Author Nick Hornby, who scored an Oscar nomination for his adaptation of An Education, penned the screenplay based on Strayed’s memoir. Witherspoon’s production company Pacific Standard will produce alongside River Road Entertainment, and the shoot is expected to begin this fall. There is currently no director attached to the project.

“We are so excited to be working with Fox Searchlight to bring Wild to the screen. It is an extraordinary company that continually strives to bring original, inspirational films to the marketplace. We are thrilled to collaborate with them on WILD,” Witherspoon said in the release announcing the news.

Fox Searchlight Pictures Presidents Stephen Gilula and Nancy Utley added: “We have long been huge fans of this visceral, inspirational and moving personal story with such a strong female perspective.”

Pacific Standard is also the company responsible for the forthcoming film adaption of Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl.