Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl drew the attention of Reese Witherspoon, who read the novel before it was even published on a recommendation from screenwriter Leslie Dixon. Witherspoon says she was impressed with the way Flynn was able to effectively tell the story from both male and female perspectives while also employing a nonlinear structure. "It's just an incredible feat that Gillian was able to accomplish," she says. "You really can't anticipate where it's going, but it's one of those books you can't stop reading." The adaptation rights went to Fox in a summer auction for a reported $1.5 million; Witherspoon, Bruna Papandrea and Dixon are producing.
Pamela Littky