School shootings are a touchy subject –and it’s only getting touchier as the subject of gun control in this country moves more into the spotlight with every new shooting— but apparently Werner Herzog is ready to use the topic as a springboard for satire and even some black comedy…

The news has hit that Werner Herzog has signed on to adapt the 2003 D.B.C. Pierre novel Vernon God Little, which is the story of the after effects of a school shooting from the perspective of the shooter’s best friend. Herzog –when he’s not playing action movie villain— is the kind of filmmaker with the right mix of tact and bravery to make something valuable on the subject, and you need only look as far as his most recent documentary Into The Abyss to see evidence. The film looks at the implications of the death penalty with a cold look at criminals on death row, and it’s a film that’s not afraid to draw conclusions while still remaining as objective and balanced as possible.

On the fictional narrative end Herzog will have more freedom to get subjective though, and apparently the novel is far from a melodramatic look at pure misery. Described as a black comedy with some touches of Twain and even Confederacy Of Dunces, the novel apparently has a very sharp sense of humor and lots to say about America, culture, and even race, which makes this all sound much more interesting. Sounds like this will be a far cry from the examination of psychopathy and misery that the brilliant but tough-to-watch We Need To Talk Kevin represents.

I’m also pleased to hear the script is from writer Andrew Birkin of Perfume: The Story Of A Murderer, as that’s a film that handles a story with a very odd tone and point of view. This could be a great combination, rough though the inciting incident may be.

Source | Variety