December 14, 2016 - 16:38 AMT
Daniel Clowes’ graphic novel “Patience” to get film treatment

Focus Features has acquired the film rights to Daniel Clowes’ graphic novel “Patience” with Clowes also set to write the screenplay adaptation, Variety said.

“Patience,” published by Fantagraphics in March, spent 19 weeks on The New York Times Best Seller List. The story is centered on a man who falls into a pit of anger, grief and guilt over the murder of his wife Patience. Ten years later, he learns of a time machine that might allow him to fix things and plunges into a psychedelic journey through Patience’s past and the events that shaped her into the woman he knew and loved.

Clowes received an Academy Award nominee in the Best Adapted Screenplay category for “Ghost World,” based on his comic, which he adapted with director Terry Zwigoff. He’s also written the adaption of his graphic novel “Wilson,” directed by Craig Johnson and starring Woody Harrelson and Laura Dern with a March release by Fox Searchlight Pictures.

“Daniel’s story is beautifully imagined,” said Jim Burke, president of production for Focus. “As with all of his works, it is vivid and affecting. Patience will be a thrilling, funny, and moving exploration of emotions we’ve all experienced.”

Clowes also wrote the comics series “Eightball,” the graphic novel “David Boring” and the short story collection “Caricature.” In 2011, he received the PEN literary award for graphic literature.

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