Ron Howard has signed on direct an adaptation of the true story memoir “My Stroke Of Insight” by brain scientist Jill Bolte Taylor.
The Sony Pictures and Imagine Entertainment co-production is set in 1996 when “the 37-year old Taylor suffered a massive stroke caused by a blood vessel that exploded in the left side of her brain. A Harvard-trained neuro-anatomist, Taylor’s brain function deteriorated in a matter or hours to where she couldn’t walk, read or write, or even recall past memories. It took 8 years for her to mend. Her knowledge of how the brain works gave her the opportunity to experience and write about brain recovery that became at times a mystical experience, as the right half compensated for the damaged left half and infused her with feelings of peace and well-being that she has tried to retain, even after struggling to reclaim her life and standing in the scientific community.” Sounds like some rich material, and certainly something that Howard is eyeing toward awards season (like Steven Spielberg, he tends to alternate between blockbusters and prestige material).
Howard wants Jodie Foster to take on the lead role, but she’s not yet attached. No word yet on where this will fall in Howard’s schedule. He also recently signed on to direct the first of three films of the mega-“The Dark Tower” franchise being launched by Universal. But we would imagine Howard will try and get this one in the can before beginning extensive work on the Stephen King project. [Deadline]
