Nearly a year ago when Paramount and Indian Paintbrush picked up Syndrome E, a first-in-a-trilogy French novel from Franck Thilliez, it was no surprise that Steve Zaillian become attached as producer on the project. After all, the screenwriter was coming off The Girl With a Dragon Tattoo for David Fincher and the source material has drawn comparisons to that revenge thriller, as well as Se7en. But with Zaillian only on as producer, the filmmakers had to find the right fit to script and it looks like their choice has been made.
According to Deadline, the gig has been given to Mark Heyman, who exploded in Hollywood after Black Swan, becoming attached to a number of projects, yet we haven’t seen one hit screens. His first follow-up will actually be the in comedy genre, with Kristen Wiig‘s The Skeleton Twins, but Syndrome E will certainly recall some of the thriller elements found in his last work.
The project enters on Lucie Hennebelle, a detective who investigates “an extremely rare and spectacularly violent film from the 1950s,” after his friend watches the film and develops blindness. Five men have been left dead on account of its raw power, and Hennebelle starts working with a fellow detective to uncover the secret behind “what has to be the most disturbing and powerful film ever made,” created by someone who could be “the personification of evil and the origins of violence.” This one has the makings of a strong drama, so hopefully Heyman finishes the script soon and we can see it hit the big screen.
Do you think Heyman is a good fit for the material?