Netflix to adapt Gary Paulsen’s novel ‘Hatchet’ into film

Netflix is developing a feature film adaptation of Gary Paulsen’s 1987 Newbery Medal-winning young adult novel, ‘Hatchet’. The project will be written and directed by Derek Cianfrance, known for ‘Blue Valentine’ and ‘The Place Beyond the Pines’.

Produced by Andrew Mittman of 1.21, the film is being made in partnership with the estate of Gary Paulsen. The estate was actively involved in selecting Cianfrance to lead the project after the intellectual property had been kept off the market for several years.

The story follows 13-year-old Brian Robeson, who must survive alone in the Canadian wilderness after a plane crash, equipped only with a hatchet given to him by his mother. This move aligns with Netflix’s recent investment in the survival thriller genre.