Nathan Ballingrud’s 2023 sci-fi thriller novel The Strange is a film makeover, with director JD Dillard (Devotion) and writer Aisha Porter-Christie (Citizen) bringing the story to life for Black Label Media, which acquired the film rights.
Set in 1931 on New Galveston, Mars, The Strange blends the desolate landscapes of a Martian colony with the grit of an old Western. The story follows 14-year-old Anabelle Crisp on a daring journey through the Martian desert, seeking revenge against the man who condemned her father and stole the last recording of her mother’s voice. Dubbed as a mashup of True Grit and Mad Max, the novel captures a harrowing tale of survival, justice, and resilience on the untamed Martian frontier.
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JD Dillard, celebrated for his visually arresting storytelling, is set to direct and produce the adaptation alongside Black Label Media’s Molly Smith, Rachel Smith, Thad Luckinbill, and Trent Luckinbill. This project marks Dillard’s second collaboration with Black Label Media following his work on Devotion, the historical war drama starring Jonathan Majors and Glen Powell. Devotion earned Dillard the Rising Star Director Award at the 2022 SCAD Savannah Film Festival.
Beyond The Strange, Dillard is cementing his reputation as a force in sci-fi storytelling. He is currently set to direct and co-create Apple TV+’s Neuromancer, a series adaptation of William Gibson’s genre-defining novel. Previously, his films Sleight and Sweetheart premiered at Sundance, with Sleight sparking a festival bidding war and showcasing his knack for combining grounded characters with high-concept premises.
Aisha Porter-Christie, the screenwriter tasked with adapting The Strange, is no stranger to complex narratives. She is co-showrunner of Amazon MGM Studios’ Citizen, an original series created by Derek Kolstad (John Wick). Her impressive resume also includes work as a consulting producer on Marvel’s Daredevil and co-executive producer on Amazon’s hit series Gen V. Porter-Christie’s expertise in crafting layered characters and high-stakes drama makes her a natural fit for this ambitious sci-fi thriller.
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The Strange is the latest work from Ballingrud, whose evocative storytelling often straddles the line between horror and the fantastical. His novella The Visible Filth inspired the Sundance-premiered film Wounds by Babak Anvari. Other works like North American Lake Monsters and Wounds: Six Stories from the Border of Hell have cemented his place as a master of mood-driven storytelling.
Black Label Media, the studio financing and producing the film, continues to deliver a slate of bold, commercially appealing projects. The company’s recent hit Reptile dominated Netflix’s charts, adding to a roster that includes La La Land, Sicario, and I Wanna Dance with Somebody. With upcoming projects like Lynne Ramsay’s Die, My Love, starring Jennifer Lawrence, LaKeith Stanfield, and Robert Pattinson, and the romantic drama series Ladies of the House, Black Label continues to push boundaries in storytelling.