Nicolas Winding Refn is in early talks to direct The Bringing for Sony Pictures.

The studio acquired the spec script by Brandon Murphy and Phillip Murphy in a competitive bidding situation back in February, with a story loosely based on the mysterious death of Elisa Lam at the Cecil Hotel in Los Angeles. The young woman was found dead in the water tanks on the roof of the hotel, and a video released before her death in February 2013 shows her exhibiting bizarre behavior, interacting with a seemingly-invisible entity. The hotel has previously been the home to serial killer Richard Ramirez and has been the site of numerous suicides. Take a look at the Elisa Lam video below, then read on for more details

The plot does not have anything to do with Elisa Lam's story, but it does follow a man who is investigating a death at the Cecil Hotel. Deadline reports that Nicolas Winding Refn actively sought out the project from his home in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Matthew Tolmach and Daniela C. Cretu are producing, with Sony Pictures production president Michael De Luca and Rachel O'Connor are overseeing the project for the studio. Nicolas Winding Refn most recently directed Only God Forgives.