Gillian Flynn, author of the bestselling novel Gone Girl, has been commissioned to rewrite Shakespeare’s Hamlet in a new series of rewrites by Hogarth Shakespeare that launches with the 400th anniversary of the Bard’s death in 2016.
“Hamlet has long been a fascination of mine: murder, betrayal, revenge, deceit, madness—all of my favorite things,” Flynn said, according to BBC News. “Add to that some of Shakespeare’s most intriguing, curious characters—from the titular brooding prince to rueful Ophelia—and what (slightly cheeky) writer wouldn’t be tempted to reimagine it?”
Hogarth has already brought on several other writers to the project. Margaret Atwood will be rewriting The Tempest, Tracy Chevalier Othello, Howard Jacobson The Merchant of Venice, Jo Nesbo Macbeth, Anne Tyler The Taming of the Shrew and Jeanette Winterson The Winter’s Tale.
No publication date has been announced for Flynn’s retelling of Hamlet.
Gillian Flynn is also the author of two other novels, Dark Places and Sharp Objects.
Flynn’s Gone Girl is currently being adapted into a film directed by The Social Network’s David Fincher and starring Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike.