@Photo by David Feeney-Mosier - © 2015 - Fox Searchlight Pictures
Oscar-nominated Marriage Story writer-director Noah Baumbach is penning his first book, whose North American rights have been acquired by Knopf. The publishing house’s acquisition of the book, which is a memoir that’s currently untitled, was a highly competitive auction, according to Deadline.
Jordan Pavlin, who serves as Knopf’s SVP and Editor-in-Chief, acquired the book from Byrd Leavall and Albert Lee at United Talent Agency. Following the acquisition, Knopf decided it will publish the memoir in hardcover, e-book and in audio by Penguin Random House.
The UK Commonwealth rights of the White Noise scribe-helmer’s book were sold by Sophie Lambert of C&W on behalf of Byrd Leavell and Albert Lee. The project was acquired by Jocasta Hamilton Publisher at John Murray.
Specific details about the memoir’s plot have not yet been revealed. However, the memoir will in part chronicle Baumbach’s life and career through notable experiences he’s had, as well as his relationship with cinema.
Knopf acquired a treatment or outline for the book. The Barbie co-writer is set to begin working on the full project in the future.
Born in Brooklyn in 1969, the BAFTA-nominated filmmaker’s parents are movie critics Georgia Brown and Jonathan Baumbach. He went on to scribe and helm the 1995 comedy-drama, Kicking and Screaming, as his first feature, which is based on his time at Vassar College.
Another notable movie Baumbach released is another comedy-drama, The Squid and the Whale. The 2005 film, which chronicles the decline of a collapsing family, earned him his first Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay.
Since then, Baumbach has directed nine more features, including Marriage Story, which received six Oscar nominations, and won for Laura Dern for Best Supporting Actress. He also helmed The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected); While We’re Young; Mistress America; Frances Ha; Greenberg; Margot at the Wedding; and the documentary De Palma.
Baumbach also co-scribed Fantastic Mr. Fox and The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou with fellow Oscar-nominated filmmaker, Wes Anderson. His next on-screen project that will be released is Barbie, which he co-penned with his partner, Greta Gerwig, who also directed the feature. The fantasy comedy is set to be distributed in theaters on July 21 by Warner Bros. Pictures.