University of Iowa professor Rachel Yoder's 'Nightbitch' adaptation to hit theaters Dec. 6

Jessica Rish, Iowa City Press-Citizen
·2 min read
A copy of "Nightbitch" by Rachel Yoder, photographed in butcher paper and tin foil.
A copy of "Nightbitch" by Rachel Yoder, photographed in butcher paper and tin foil.
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Two years after Rachel Yoder's debut novel, Nightbitch, was released, it is being adapted for film and will be released in theaters on Dec. 6.

Yoder is an assistant professor of screenwriting and cinema arts at the University of Iowa.

Her novel Nightbitch, released in 2021, is a dark and surreal humor exploration of contemporary feminism, motherhood, and identity as a woman begins to transform into a wolf.

The book caught the eye of filmmakers before its release. In January 2021, the Press-Citizen reported that Annapurna Pictures had won the rights to the novel.

Oscar-nominated actress Amy Adams will lead the adaptation, which is also named Nightbitch.

Yoder revealed the film's release date on X.com, Friday afternoon, April 5.

"It's been this really peculiar experience of having the most significant events of my career happen in solitude and happen very, very quietly as I sat in my house for months," Yoder told the Press-Citizen in July of 2021. "I was so in touch with my community before the pandemic and then to not be able to share these wins with my community and be around my writing group and my colleagues, it was a little challenging."

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Rachel Yoder
Rachel Yoder

Script was written by Marielle Heller, stars well-known actress

American director, screenwriter, and actress Marielle Heller wrote and directed the film adaptation of the novel. Heller is best known for directing the films "The Diary of a Teenage Girl" and "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood" and for acting in the Netflix limited series "The Queen's Gambit."

"Rachel Yoder's book took my breath away," Heller when she was announced as director in 2022. "I haven't felt this way about a book since I read 'The Diary of a Teenage Girl' many years ago. Rachel's darkly hilarious tale of motherhood and rage made me feel seen. And adapting it with Amy Adams in mind has been the thing that has kept me going through the pandemic."

According to Variety, "Nightbitch" will be released via Searchlight Pictures on Dec. 6. The movie is produced by Heller, Adams, Anne Carey, Sue Naegle, Christina Oh, and Stacy O'Neil.

Jessica Rish is an entertainment, dining and business reporter for the Iowa City Press-Citizen. She can be reached at JRish@press-citizen.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @rishjessica_

This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Iowa author’s 'Nightbitch' film starring Amy Adams gets release date