Candyman director Nia DaCosta is directing the upcoming film adaptation of the Ta-Nehisi Coates novel The Water Dancer. The novel follows Hiram Walker, who was born into bondage and lost memory of his mother over time. A mysterious power within Hiram saves him from drowning as a young man. The Water Dancer was Oprah’s first Book Club pick in partnership with Apple. Coates is making the film adaptation with his company Maceo-Lyn, alongside Plan B and Winfrey’s Harpo Films. The Water Dancer film adaptation is the second collaboration between Plan B and Coates. The first is Wrong Answer, based on Rachel Aviv’s New Yorker story of the same name. It will star Michael B. Jordan, and Ryan Coogler will direct it. Ta-Nehisi Coates co-founded the production company Maceo-Lyn with his friends and collaborators Kamilah Forbes and Kenyatta Matthews. Nia DaCosta released her debut film in 2018 with Little Woods.
Nia DaCosta is a Rising Star Director in Hollywood
The blossoming director attended New York University Tisch School of the Arts, the alma mater of one of her biggest inspirations, director Martin Scorsese. Nia DaCosta developed her debut film Little Woods at the Sundance Institute, which premiered in 2018 at the Tribeca Film Festival. DaCosta was awarded the Nora Ephron Award for “excellence in storytelling by a female writer or director.” Recently she beat out Ryan Coogler to become the youngest person to direct a Marvel film, The Marvels. Now Nia DaCosta has set her sights on the film adaptation of the Ta-Nehisi Coates novel The Water Dancer. Since she has experience with big-budget projects and working with large production companies, The Water Dancer film adaptation is not unlike what she has worked with before. DaCosta is creating her legacy with her works, and the Coates film adaptation is added to that.
Currently, there is no official announcement for the cast of The Water Dancer film adaptation or an official release date.