Jake Gyllenhaal has signed on to star in the upcoming adaptation Nocturnal Animals, based on Austin Wright's 1993 book Tony & Susan, with Amy Adams in talks for the female lead role. The project is not set up at a studio, but George Clooney and Grant Heslov's Smokehouse Pictures is producing, and the company has a first-look deal with Sony Pictures. The Hollywood Reporter also reveals that Joaquin Phoenix and Aaron Taylor-Johnson are being sought for supporting roles.

Austin Wright's book follows a woman named Susan, who receives a manuscript from her ex-husband, 20 years after she left him. The book, entitled Nocturnal Animals, follows two separate stories, the first centering on a man's vacation which turns violent and deadly, and the second telling Susan's story, as she must confront dark truths about herself. The adaptation will mark the filmmaking return of fashion designer Tom Ford, who made his directorial debut with the 2009 Best Picture nominee A Single Man.

No production schedule was given at this time. Jake Gyllenhaal is coming off an Oscar-nominated performance in Nightcrawler and this year's Accidental Love. He will next be seen in Southpaw, Demolition and Everest, arriving in theaters later this year. Amy Adams is getting ready to shoot Story of Your Life, and she will reprise her Lois Lane role from Man of Steel in next year's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.