‘Sunshine’ Group to Tackle ‘Abstinence’

The team that brought us the surprise hit Little Miss Sunshine are gathering again. The directing duo of Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton are reportedly in talks to helm the film adaptation of The Abstinence Teacher, based on an upcoming Tom Perrotta novel.

The project will bring together the entire production team for the proposed Warner Independent Pictures project, as “Sunshine” producers Albert Berger and Ron Yerxa of Bona Fide Productions are slated to back “Teacher” as well. The producers have a long history with the novelist; having brought Little Children and “Election” to the big screen, both of which were based on tomes by the author. Warner’s new prez Polly Cohen is banking on the team and the tome to be her first success, having snared the rights back in September as her first major purchase since moving into the top spot at the studio.

Both Dayton and Faris are former commercial directors who are now riding the wave of their Sundance hit “Sunshine”, which was scooped up by Fox Searchlight Pictures and has made $60 million domestically to date. The pair will be facing new territory with their sophomore project however, as all eyes turn to them to mimic the incredible success of their first indie project. The pic, which Perrotta will pen with Dayton and Farris, which may coincide with the tome release by St. Martin’s Press next year, revolves around a divorced sex ed teacher in the heartland of the Midwest who is torn between her love for her daughter’s born-again soccer coach, the town’s conservative attitudes, and her teaching career. The success of ‘Sunshine’ may give pressure to the team of “Abstinence”; however, as we saw in the little yellow sensation, dysfunctional situations are the glory binding of this pseudo family of screen gems. No production details have been announced to date.