Bigelow’s next film will be produced by Netflix, the streaming service announced on Thursday. Aurora, based on David Koepp’s upcoming novel of the same name, is the inspiration for the film. “Characters who are coping with the collapse of the social order, set against a catastrophic worldwide power crisis,” according to Koepp, who will adapt the novel for Bigelow.
Kathryn Bigelow is returning to Netflix for her next project, following Jane Campion’s Oscar win for best director. “Aurora,” based on David Koepp’s upcoming thriller novel of the same name, will be directed by Bigelow, who made history as the first woman to win an Oscar for directing in 2010 with “The Hurt Locker.”
Koepp will also write the film’s screenplay, adding to his extensive resume that includes “Mission: Impossible” and “Jurassic Park.” Harper Collins will release the novel “Aurora” on June 7th.
The film “follows characters who are coping with the collapse of the social order, set against a catastrophic worldwide power crisis,” according to Netflix’s announcement on Twitter. According to the book’s blurb, the story takes place in Aurora, Illinois, where Aubrey Wheeler and her teenage son are left to fend for themselves after a massive power outage. Wheeler’s estranged brother, a Silicon Valley CEO, has built a bunker in the desert in preparation for such apocalyptic events, and their reunion causes global and personal reckonings.
Bigelow, who is represented by CAA, hasn’t directed a feature film since her 2017 film “Detroit,” which chronicles the events surrounding the city’s 1967 race riots. She’s directed an Apple commercial and a short film since then, but “Aurora” is the first official confirmation of an upcoming feature from the Oscar winner. Bigelow’s film “Zero Dark Thirty,” which received a best picture nomination in 2012, also made waves.
Bigelow has an incredible track record. Aurora, despite the fact that the book has not yet been released, sounds like the type of story that would suit Bigelow’s talents, given her background in action and thrillers. It’ll most likely feature more of the director’s compelling character-driven narrative that fans have come to love. Regardless of the scope of the story, this filmmaker always manages to tell an emotionally compelling and human story.