Brad Pitt and Natalie Portman making ‘Artifacts’

Paramount is developing a feature film adaptation of the new Leanne Shapton novel titled “Important Artifacts and Personal Property From the Collection of Lenore Doolan and Harold Morris, Including Books, Street Fashion and Jewelry“. Uh… that’s a long title! My first question, right out of the gate, is whether they’ll keep this title or shorten it for the movie? I imagine it will get cut down, but how cool would it be if they left it as is, you know, like ‘The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford’… only a lot longer!

The book takes the form of a Sotheby’s-like estate auction catalog, with 325 entries and photographs depicting items that reveal the private moments and the rise and fall of a four-year relationship between the fictitious couple Hal Morris (a 40ish photographer) and Lenore Doolan (a New York Times food columnist in her late 20s). — Variety

Anyway, Paramount apparently won rights to the book in an auction. Natalie Portman is reported to have taken the book to Brad Pitt and her company Handsomecharlie Films will produce the film alongside Pitt’s Plan B company. The two are also attached to star in the film, which will be developed as a romantic comedy.

[source: Variety]