September 23, 2015 - 14:48 AMT
Felix van Groeningen to helm “Beautiful Boy” memoir adaptation

New Regency and Brad Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment have set “The Broken Circle Breakdown” helmer Felix van Groeningen to direct an adaptation of the memoir “Beautiful Boy”, Variety reveals.

Based on David Sheff’s book “Beautiful Boy: a Father’s Journey Through His Son’s Addiction” as well as Nic Scheff’s “Tweak: Growing Up On Methamphetamines,” the story follows meth addiction and recovery through the eyes of a father who watches his son as he struggles with the disease.

Cameron Crowe was originally on board to direct and so far along in the pre-production process that he was courting Mark Wahlberg to star, but the director subsequently left the project to direct “Aloha.” Pitt is producing the film through Plan B. Sources say the project is moving forward quickly with “Candy” scribe Luke Davies having recently handed in his draft of the script.. The filmmakers plan to go out to talent shortly.

Van Groeningen broke out with Belgium pic “The Broken Circle Breakdown,” which earned him an Oscar nomination for best foreign film. “Beautiful Boy” would mark his first domestic film at a major studio. Davies most recently penned “Life” with Dane Dehaan.