United Artists (UA) Entertainment, in collaboration with StudioCanal, has attached Billy Ray (Breach, Shattered Glass) to write and direct Conjure Wife. The announcement was made today by UA Chief Operating Officer Elliott Kleinberg, who stated, “This is one of those moments when the right filmmaker gets behind a great project. Everyone involved is excited to work with Billy to make this film a success.”
Based on the book by Fritz Leiber, Conjure Wife is a supernatural thriller concerning a man’s discovery that all his recent successes in life are the result of his wife dabbling in witchcraft. Furious, he demands she cease, forgoing her protection and triggering an onslaught of evil forces intent on restoring the imbalance.
President of Production Don Granger will oversee the project for UA. MGM will market and distribute the film domestically; UA is co-financing and co-producing with StudioCanal who will handle distribution in Germany and the UK via its Kinowelt and Optimum Releasing entities. StudioCanal and MGM share the underlying rights to the project due to a 1962 adaptation of the book, released under the title, Burn, Witch, Burn.
