Hollywood director Charlie Kaufman is set to write and direct the film adaptation of Iain Reid’s debut novel I’m Thinking of Ending Things for Netflix.

The psychological thriller follows a couple on a dark and twisted road trip, narrated by a character identified only as “the girlfriend.” In 2016 when the book was released by Simon & Schuster Canada, Reid told Q&Q in an interview: “There’s really no gore, it’s not a traditional horror story. But it is an unsettling, challenging story about ideas that, for me, are quite personal.”

Kaufman has never strayed away from psychologically complex stories, with Being John Malkovich, Adaptation, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and Synecdoche, New York among his credits. On S&S Canada’s promotional page for I’m Thinking of Ending Things, Kaufman calls the book “My kind of fun!”

The deal was arranged by film agent Dana Spector at Paradigm on behalf of Reid’s literary agent, Samantha Haywood at the Transatlantic Agency. Haywood tells Q&Q: “I’m Thinking of Ending Things was meant for a visionary filmmaker and Charlie Kaufman is quite literally the dream come true match for Iain Reid’s exquisite philosophical thriller. Iain strives with precision for excellence at all times and off the page he is a gracious and kind friend to everyone on his team.”

I’m Thinking of Ending Things – which has been picked up in more than 15 territories – marked a departure for the Kingston, Ontario–based writer whose first two books, One Bird’s Choice and The Truth About Luck (House of Anansi Press), were memoirs inspired by family stories. Reid, who will co-produce the film, says, “I’m a huge fan of Charlie Kaufman and his work, so I’m delighted that he’s adapting the book. I was just happy and flattered that he’d even read it, so this really has been a very pleasant surprise.”