News & Reviews

WORD: Portes novel ‘Hick’ gets two A-list actresses in film adaptation

Producer Christian Taylor has lined up A-list actresses Kirsten Dunst and Chloe Moretz to play key roles in the film adaptation of Andrea Portes’ novel "Hick." The additions give further momentum to a project that will help introduce a new wave of book and movie fans to talented novelist Portes' work.

WORD’N’BASS readers first met Portes (pictured left) on the day she launched Hick with indie publisher Unbridled Books in May 2007. In the exclusive interview, she shared her views on writing gritty prose, the semi-biographical elements of Hick, and the stark teenage sexuality that marked her debut novel’s work.

Moretz, who made a big splash in last year’s runaway hit "Kick Ass," will play the lead role of Hick’s 13-year-old protagonist Luli, who hits the road from Nebraska to Las Vegas in search of a sugar daddy while escaping a difficult home life.

Dunst will play the role of Glenda, a grifter who takes Luli under her wing during her perilous journey west -- an odyssey that tells a story of American rootlessness set against the power and the peril of Luli’s own sexual curiosity.

Also, respected Martin Scorsese protege Derrick Martini -- who made his full-length directorial debut in 2008 with "Lymelife" -- will reportedly helm the film as director. A release date isn’t yet available for the film, which producer Taylor bought the rights for in 2008.

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