After the Oscar-winning “CODA,” director Siân Heder likely had no shortage of options when it came to choosing her next project. With the industry eager to work with her, the possibilities seemed wide open.
Heder is already attached to two upcoming films: the sci-fi project “The Blue Afternoon That Lasted Forever,” written by Sarah Polley, and the rom-com “The Impossible Us.” Instead of moving ahead with either of those, however, she recently shot “Being Heumann” with Mark Ruffalo — set for this year’s fall fests — and has now opted to take on an entirely different project as her follow-up.
Heder has signed on to direct “Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow” for Paramount with Daisy Edgar Jones (“Twisters”) in the lead role. The film will adapt the bestselling novel by Gabrielle Zevin (via Variety).
Described as a modern love story set against the backdrop of the video game industry, the story spans three decades and follows two friends, Sam and Sadie. The pair meet as children and reconnect as adults, eventually finding success—and fame—in the fiercely competitive gaming world.
“Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow” was released in 2022 and has since sold more than four million copies globally, with translations published across 40 international markets. The novel was also included on the New York Times list of the 100 best books of the 21st century and was recognized by the Los Angeles Times as one of the top fiction titles of the past three decades.
Heder’s 2021 indie “CODA” surprised many when it won the Oscar for Best Picture. The film beat more acclaimed contenders, including “The Power of the Dog,” which did however have Jane Campion winning the directing statuette. It’s still puzzles me to this day how CODA managed to take the top prize. Sure, it’s completely watchable, but also not that original and predictably delivered.
As a director, Heder showed little in the way of distinct personality or visual flair in “CODA,” opting instead for a straightforward, almost TV-movie style approach—yet somehow the result still carried it all the way to a Best Picture win. Go figure. Do any of our readers actually believe it was the best film inside that year’s best picture lineup? Chime in below.