First announced in 2023, the adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s classic novel Blood Meridian is still in the works, with John Logan announced as its screenwriter.
Announced last year, the adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s bracing western novel Blood Meridian: Or The Evening Redness In The West is still quietly moving ahead.
In the works at production company New Regency, the movie will be written by Oscar-nominated screenwriter John Logan, who’s produced some remarkably varied scripts across his career, ranging from Alien: Covenant to Skyfall to Gladiator.
Logan’s adapted screenplay will be directed by John Hillcoat, who has form when it comes to making films based on McCarthy’s poetic, witheringly harsh work – he previously made post-apocalyptic mood piece The Road in 2009, starring Viggo Mortensen. That film was also produced by New Regency.
“Blood Meridian has been one of my favorite novels since first reading it in 1985,” Logan said in a statement to Deadline. “It’s a majestic, beautiful and uncompromising book and I’m thrilled to be able to help bring Cormac McCarthy’s dark masterpiece to the screen.”
Set in the mid-19th century, Blood Meridian explores the violence and brutality Native Americans suffered as white settlers took over their land – specifically, a group of scalp hunters and their murderous acts in the State of Tennessee. Although regarded as one of the best American novels of the 20th century, Blood Meridian’s unvarnished descriptions of bloodshed make it a difficult book to adapt. The Road was itself a disturbing book, though, and Hillcoat deftly handled that one.
“After years of dreaming and scheming about adapting this great work into a movie,” the director said in his own statement, “after years of discussing adaptation ideas with Cormac, we are excited to have the writer John Logan weigh in with his passion and understanding of Cormac’s sensibility, to help bring Blood Meridian the movie to fruition.”
McCarthy sadly passed away in 2023, but will retain an executive producer credit on the movie.
More on Blood Meridian as we get it.
