Reese Witherspoon Developing ‘Napkin Notes’ Memoir for the Screen

Reese Witherspoon and Bruna Papandrea’s Pacific Standard banner is developing a film adaptation for New Line of Garth Callaghan’s memoir “Napkin Notes: Make Lunch Meaningful, Life Will Follow.”

Witherspoon and Papandrea will produce “Napkin Notes,” which New Line optioned last September. Mike Binder, whose credits include “Black or White,” “Reign Over Me” and “The Upside of Anger,” has come on to adapt the script. Toby Emmerich, Andrea Johnston and Richard Brener are overseeing for New Line.

Callaghan’s book, published by HarperCollins, details how he began writing short inspirational notes on napkins to put in his daughter Emma’s lunchbox daily to connect with his daughter. The practice took on far more significance after Callaghan was diagnosed first with kidney cancer and subsequently received four other cancer diagnoses.

“Napkin Notes” is Pacific Standard’s ninth development project. Witherspoon and Papandea formed Pacific Standard in 2012 in order to remedy the absence of movies with female protagonists. They have since produced “Wild,” “Gone Girl” and “Hot Pursuit.”

The banner has been developing Jessica Knoll’s “Luckiest Girl Alive” at Lionsgate, Gayle Tzemach Lemmon’s “Ashley’s War” at Fox 2000, S.J. Watson’s thriller novel “Second Life” at Warner Bros. and Maureen Sherry Klinsky’s upcoming novel “Opening Belle” with an eye to Witherspoon starring in the Wall Street comedy. Pacfiic Standard is also developing an adaptation of the novel “Big Little Lies,” “The Engagements,” “Pennyroyal’s Princess Boot Camp” and “The Outliers.”

Witherspoon is repped by CAA and Rick Yorn at LBI Entertainment. CAA, which packaged the deal, represents Pacific Standard and Callaghan.

News about “Napkin Notes” was first reported by the Tracking Board.

– Variety