It’s become one of Hollywood’s busiest hubs of activity in recent weeks, and barely twenty-four hours after Lisa Kudrow was enrolled for the ensemble thriller, The Hollywood Reporter has word that Luke Evans will topline Tate Taylor’s adaptation, The Girl on the Train.
He’ll supplant Jared Leto in DreamWorks’ starry adaptation of Paula Hawkins’ eponymous best-seller, and production is now earmarked to begin imminently. This is by no means the first time that an actor has been drafted in to replace a vacant seat on the studio’s vehicle, considering that Chris Evans was forced to bow out of the project due to scheduling conflicts. Justin Theroux is the man replacing him as estranged ex-husband character, Tom.
At the core, however, is Emily Blunt’s troubled title character, who serves as the undisputed focal point of The Girl on the Train. Teetering on the edge of alcoholism, Blunt’s character Rachel finds comfort in dreaming up a scenario for a seemingly happy couple that her train passes on her daily commute. Situated adjacent to the train tracks, the pair appear to have everything but a white picket fence, though one day our protagonist witnesses a heinous crime – a murder that she becomes irrevocably involved in.
Oozing with dramatic potential, The Girl on the Train will also feature Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation breakout Rebecca Ferguson, Haley Bennett, Edgar Ramirez and Allison Janney. It’s expected to ease into theaters in late 2016.
Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning. Every day she rattles down the track, flashes past a stretch of cozy suburban homes, and stops at the signal that allows her to daily watch the same couple breakfasting on their deck. She’s even started to feel like she knows them. “Jess and Jason,” she calls them. Their life—as she sees it—is perfect. Not unlike the life she recently lost.
And then she sees something shocking. It’s only a minute until the train moves on, but it’s enough. Now everything’s changed. Unable to keep it to herself, Rachel offers what she knows to the police, and becomes inextricably entwined in what happens next, as well as in the lives of everyone involved. Has she done more harm than good?