‘Infamous’ Filmmaker Joshua Caldwell Options Novel ‘She Died Famous’ As Next Feature Project

EXCLUSIVE: We can report that Joshua Caldwell, whose Bella Thorne crime feature Infamous debuted on VOD and drive-ins last weekend, has optioned Kyle Rutkin’s psychological thriller She Died Famous as his next feature directorial.

The Greater Path dark and twisted romance novel, which is akin to A Star Is Born crossed with Gone Girl, follows the death of iconic superstar, Kelly Trozzo, her suspected killer and the author she commissioned to pen her shocking Hollywood memoir.

Caldwell tells Deadline, “She Died Famous is a mind-bending trip into the world of tabloid, murder, and celebrity. Kyle Rutkin has crafted an innovative and thrilling whodunit that keeps you guessing until the very end. But more than that, it’s framed around a tragic and hedonistic love story that draws you in with its peak-behind-the-curtain look at young fame and loss of innocence. Taking the multi-format structure of the book and adapting it to the screen is incredibly exciting and challenging and provides for a fresh and cinematic exploration of the world Kyle has created.”

Caldwell wrote, directed and executive produced Infamous which stars Thorne as Arielle, a young woman who lives in a small Florida town, stuck in a diner job. Arielle has always wanted more: fame, popularity and admiration. But when she falls for a recently paroled young criminal named Dean (Jake Manley), she drags him back into a life of danger, learning that posting their criminal exploits on social media is an easy way to viral fame. They embark on a dangerous adventure together that leads to robbery, cop chases, and murder. Acquired by Vertical Entertainment last month, the pic grossed $160K at 54 locations last weekend.

Caldwell is repped by CAA and The Coronel Group.