Paramount Pictures, led by David Ellison, has acquired the feature adaptation of Matt Haig’s novel The Midnight Library for $36 million in a major Cannes market deal, outbidding Focus Features and Sony for the North American and select international rights. The film will be directed by Garth Davis and star Florence Pugh, who will play Nora Seed, a woman who finds herself in a mysterious library between life and death, where she is given the chance to explore the many different lives she might have lived.
StudioCanal, which packaged the project, will retain rights in the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Benelux, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, though the final territory split between Paramount and StudioCanal is still being finalized. The film is being viewed as a potential awards contender for Paramount, while the retained European and English-speaking territories are considered strong markets for the novel, which has been especially successful outside the United States.
The deal is notable for its size and for standing out as the biggest transaction from the Cannes market so far, surpassing other high-profile packages. It also arrives amid ongoing concern in the industry about inflated prices for prestige projects, especially those that may struggle to turn a profit at the North American box office. At an estimated $70 million production budget, The Midnight Library is among the largest European productions in recent years.
Pre-production on the film is expected to begin in the autumn, with filming planned for early next year. The screenplay is being adapted by Olivier Award winner Laura Wade and Tony nominee Nick Payne. First published by Canongate in 2020, The Midnight Library has sold 15 million copies worldwide and has been translated into 56 languages, making it one of the most successful contemporary literary properties available for film adaptation.
The story centers on Nora Seed, who is offered a chance to revisit alternate versions of her life after arriving in a liminal space between life and death. The novel’s broad global appeal, combined with a high-profile cast and acclaimed creative team, has positioned the adaptation as one of the most watched projects to emerge from the Cannes market.
