The film is based on the best-selling 2016 novel of the same name by J. D. Vance and the 44-year-old actress will be directed by Ron Howard in the highly anticipated flick, while 'Variety' says Vanessa Taylor is directing the script will adapt. Details of Adams' role are not yet known, but according to the magazine, Vance, Julie Oh, Ron Howard, Brian Grazer and Karen Lunder will produce the film.
Netflix was awarded the contract in January to finance the approximately 40 million euro film. Imagine Entertainment had previously secured the rights to the book, and company President Erica Huggins previously described it as a "powerful, true coming-of-age memoir." She said in a statement, "'Hillbilly Elegy' is a powerful, truthful reminder of J. D. Vance. Through the lens of a colorful, chaotic family and with remarkable compassion and confidence, J. D. looked back on his own 'hillbilly' upbringing."
The book tells the story of Kentucky-born Vance, who grew up in what is known as the "Rust Belt," an area of the United States that stretches from the Great Lakes to the upper Midwest and is experiencing deindustrialization decline, population loss and urban decay. Thanks to his grandmother, Vance learned to appreciate his upbringing, which eventually helped him climb out of poverty.
