Julia Stiles Producing and Starring in The Bell Jar

In an interview with NY Times, Julia Stiles (The Bourne Ultimatum, The Omen) has revealed that she’s set to produce and star in an adaptation of Sylvia Plath’s semi-autobiographical novel, The Bell Jar. Julia Stiles said of the book, “One side of the book is fascinating to me because of the specific time period, the 1950s, but there’s also something that’s very timeless about it.”

It was first announced in 2008 that Plum Pictures had plans to adapt the novel but, due to the financial crisis, the film has struggled to get off the ground Only now, with the dedication of Stiles, and the founding of a director suitable to take on the project is production underway. Stiles, along with her co-producer, Celine Rattray of Mandalay Vision, have settled on Nicole Kassell (The Woodsman).

The novel in question, The Bell Jar, centres on Esther, an A-student from Boston who has won a guest editorship on a national magazine, who finds a bewildering new world at her feet. Her New York life is crowded with possibilities, so that the choice of future is overwhelming, but she can no longer retreat into the safety of her past. Deciding she wants to be a writer above all else, Esther is also struggling with the perennial problems of morality, behaviour and identity.

Currently only Stiles and Virginia Madsen (Sideways, The Number 23) have been confirmed as cast members. Expect more details to be announced once financing has been finalised. Meanwhile you can read the full interview with Stiles here.