Southern Reach News: Ex Machina's Alex Garland Tagged to Direct Annihilation

As reported by Variety, Alex Garland, director of the forthcoming Ex Machina, has been brought on board by Scott Rudin Productions and Paramount Pictures to direct the movie version of my novel Annihilation. He'll also write the screenplay.To say this is exciting news is an understatement. Garland's script for the movie Never Let Me Go is phenomenal--and his work with science fiction in general has been unique, eccentric, and interesting in the best possible ways. Ex Machina looks fascinating, and if anyone can tackle the dual distance/passion of the biologist in Annihilation, it's him. And I like very much the idea of the person doing the screenplay also directing--especially in this case, where Garland's a novelist too.Will the movie version differ from the novel? I'm sure it will. For one thing, Annihilation is a first-person narrative and film is by default more of a third-person medium. There are all kinds of changes in structure and general approach I would've made if writing the novel in third person.Anyway, I'm thrilled that we're moving closer and closer to a movie version of Annihilation. I'm planning on a Garland movie marathon of re-watches in the near future.Thanks to all of you readers, too--Annihilation has made it to the long-list of the Good Reads Choice Awards. Go vote for your favorite here. I appreciate the many emails about your affection for the Southern Reach trilogy. (I'll have news about an FSG hardcover of the trilogy--cover below--later this week, along with updated book tour information.)