Haley Bennett in Talks to Join Amy Adams in Ron Howard’s ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ (EXCLUSIVE)

By Justin Kroll

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – “The Girl on the Train” star Haley Bennett is in early talks to join and Glenn Close in Netflix’s adaptation of “,” directed by Ron Howard.

Gabriel Basso is also on board to star.

Based on J.D. Vance’s bestselling memoir, the pic is a modern exploration of the American dream and follows three generations of an Appalachian family as told by its youngest member, a Yale law student forced to return to his hometown.

“The Shape of Water” screenwriter Vanessa Taylor adapted the script, with Howard, Brian Grazer and Karen Lunder producing for Imagine Entertainment. Julie Oh and Vance will executive produce.

Imagine has been developing the movie since it acquired the rights in 2017. Netflix boarded the project in January after winning a heated bidding war to finance the $45 million feature.

Bennett most recently wrapped production on Antonio Campos’ thriller “The Devil All the Time,” alongside Robert Pattinson and Bill Skarsgard, for Netflix. She serves as an executive producer and stars in “Swallow,” premiering this weekend at the Tribeca Film Festival. Bennett next stars opposite Chris Evans and Ben Kingsley in “The Red Sea Diving Resort,” also for Netflix, which will be released later this year.

She’s represented by WME, Brillstein Entertainment Partners and attorney Dave Feldman.