In addition to them producing, Charlize Theron — who won the Oscar for Best Actress for “Monster” — is in talks to star in “Jane,” and Alfonso Cuarón — a two-time winner of Best Director for “Gravity” and “Roma” — is in talks to direct. The official description of the film pegs it as “a moving, suspenseful and darkly humorous story about a woman’s unique relationship with her brilliant, but troubled twin, who also happens to be the celebrated novelist Philip K. Dick. While attempting to rescue her brother from predicaments both real and imagined, Jane plunges deeper and deeper into a fascinating world of his creation.”
This description obviously positions “Jane” as a biopic that will color outside the lines, since it’s going to be leaning into Dick’s preoccupation with alternate realities while framing the story from the perspective of a deceased person. The idea of a biopic with “real and imagined” scenarios is not entirely without precedent in Hollywood; one point of comparison for “Jane” might be the musical drama “Rocketman,” which had the songs of Elton John bleed into fantasy sequences. Isa Hackett further elaborated on the approach “Jane” will take, describing the movie as follows:
“Befitting a man of his unique imagination, this film will defy the conventions of a biopic and embrace the alternate reality Philip K. Dick so desperately desired — one in which his beloved sister survived beyond six weeks of age. It is her story we will tell, her lens through which we will see him and his imagination. There is no better way to honor him than to grant him his wish, if only for the screen.”
“Jane” is early in development and does not have a release date yet, but we’ll keep you posted.
