Nia DaCosta (Candyman) will direct an adaptation of Ta-Nehisi Coates's 2019 novel The Water Dancer for MGM, Plan B, Harpo Films and Maceo-Lyn, Deadline reported. Coates, who is adapting the book for the screen, founded the production company Maceo-Lyn with his long-time friends and collaborators Kamilah Forbes and Kenyatta Matthews.
The Water Dancer marks the second collaboration between Plan B and Coates, who are also in development on the feature Wrong Answer, based on Rachel Aviv's New Yorker story of the same name, Deadline noted. Coates is adapting it, with Ryan Coogler directing, Michael B. Jordan starring and Plan B producing alongside Proximity Media and New Regency Productions.
Additional Plan B projects set up at MGM, as part of their overall second-look feature film deal with the studio, include Sarah Polley's adaptation of Miriam Toews's novel Women Talking; Cory Finley's adaptation of M.T. Anderson's novel Landscape With Invisible Hand; as well as film adapations of Chandler Baker's The Husbands, with Kristen Wiig attached to star and produce; and Lisa Taddeo's Animal, which she will adapt for the screen.