The Spectacular Now Writers Will Next Adapt Rules Of Civility

Adapting a novel for film seems like a very particular talent to have, and it is a talent that screenwriters Scott Neustadter and Michael Weber are awash in. The duo recently received accolades for penning the screenplay for James Ponsoldt’s The Spectacular Now, based on the novel by Tim Tharp. Their next project sounds like it could be a great follow-up.

Next up, Neustadter and Weber will be adapting the 2011 novelRules of Civility, states The Hollywood Reporter, which makes this their fifth book-to-film adaptation. The novel, written by Boston native Amor Towles, was on the bestseller charts for nearly eight months, and was a favorite of both Oprah Winfrey and The Wall Street Journal, so it was naturally a highly-sought out property. It ended up taking the president of Lionsgate eight months of convincing Towles in order to get the rights. So for this particular writing team to get the job speaks quite highly of their skills.

After gaining popularity with their spec script (500) Days of Summer, Neustadter and Weber went on to Spectacular Now, then finished up a script for Rosaline, which is adapted from the modernized Romeo and Juliet romance When You Were Mine, from author Rebecca Serle. They’ve also been working on adapting the young adult sensation The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, which will certainly jerk a few tears out of audiences whenever that makes it to cinemas. And finally, they’ve also been working on a script for Where’d You Go, Bernadette, the familial comedy novel from Maria Semple. Phew!

Rules of Civility is a 1930s period piece that follows a Wall Street secretary up the ladder to success, and examines how the spontaneity of our decisions can change our lives forever.

Nick Venable
Assistant Managing Editor

Nick is a Cajun Country native and an Assistant Managing Editor with a focus on TV and features. His humble origin story with CinemaBlend began all the way back in the pre-streaming era, circa 2009, as a freelancing DVD reviewer and TV recapper.  Nick leapfrogged over to the small screen to cover more and more television news and interviews, eventually taking over the section for the current era and covering topics like Yellowstone, The Walking Dead and horror. Born in Louisiana and currently living in Texas — Who Dat Nation over America’s Team all day, all night — Nick spent several years in the hospitality industry, and also worked as a 911 operator. If you ever happened to hear his music or read his comics/short stories, you have his sympathy.