Having collaborated on Paddington and Paddington 2, director Paul King, producer David Heyman and co-writer Jon Croker are set to reunite for an adaptation of Glyn Maxwell’s novel-length poem Time’s Fool: A Tale in Verse for Fox Searchlight.
Time’s Fool is described as a “magical love story” and follows “a young man who is cursed to ride a train for eternity, except for one night every seven years when the train pulls into his home town and he has a few hours to unravel the nature of his entrapment.”
“I’ve always been attracted to films which use magical ideas to explore real human emotions,” said King, who will write the script with Croker, as well as taking on directing duties. “And so when, one rainy afternoon, Jon poured me a cup of tea and told me the story of Time’s Fool, I was immediately hooked. It’s a captivating tale of wonder and heartbreak which sets the pulse racing and the imagination on fire. David, Jon and I will do our best not to mess it up.”
“When I first read Glyn’s book twelve years ago, I simply couldn’t put it down – it’s romantic yet realistic, funny yet sad, epic yet intimate, and above all, profoundly human,” added Croker. “Paul is so good at finding cinematic ways of expressing deep feelings that this felt like the perfect fit for his unique talents.”
“I am thrilled to continue collaborating with Paul and Jon on Time’s Fool and we could not be more excited to be working with Searchlight; as a long-time fan of the films they make, it felt like the perfect home for this unique and magical story,” stated Heyman.
In addition to Time’s Fool, both King and Heyman are also attached to the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory prequel Willy Wonka, which is set up at Warner Bros., while King is also set to direct Disney’s live-action Pinocchio remake.
