Netflix developing Hatchet adaptation with Derek Cianfrance
Netflix is developing a film version of Gary Paulsen's 1987 survival novel Hatchet, with Derek Cianfrance writing and directing. Paulsen's estate helped select Cianfrance and will executive produce alongside Ruth Wright Paulsen and James Wright Paulsen. The book follows 13-year-old Brian Robeson as he survives a plane crash in the wilderness with a hatchet, and it previously inspired the 1990 film A Cry In The Wild.
Netflix is moving forward with a movie based on Gary Paulsen’s 1987 young-adult survival book, Hatchet. Derek Cianfrance is attached to write and direct. The author’s estate chose him after long declining to license the property; Ruth Wright Paulsen, James Wright Paulsen, and estate representatives will executive produce.
The novel follows 13-year-old Brian Robeson, a child of divorce who crashes in the wilderness while traveling to his father’s home for summer. He endures alone with a hatchet from his mother. The book received a Newbery Honor and led to four sequels. A 1990 adaptation, A Cry In The Wild, was co-written by Paulsen.
A high-profile Hatchet adaptation could introduce Paulsen’s survival story to younger viewers and reignite interest in the novel and its sequels. Longtime readers may feel protective of a formative book, while Netflix subscribers and families could discover it together. Its reception may also influence whether streamers pursue more young-adult literary adaptations, though Netflix’s crowded release slate could limit visibility. Cianfrance’s involvement may draw adult film fans, but the film’s success likely depends on balancing fidelity to the source with broad accessibility.