Protagonist to handle sales, Alliance and Momentum already on board for Canada and UK. Film 4 has co-developed and co-financed.

Kevin Macdonald will direct an adaptation of How I Live Now, which will be sold internationally by Protagonist Pictures.

Alliance Films and Momentum Pictures are already on board for Canada and UK rights, respectively.

Jeremy Brock (The Last King of Scotland) and Tony Grisoni (The Red Riding Trilogy) have adapted the screenplay, based on the award-winning novel by Meg Rosoff.

Producers are Charles Steel (The Last King Of Scotland), Alasdair Flind, John Battsek (One Day In September, Restrepo) and Andrew Ruhemann (The Tillman Story.)

The project has been co-developed by the UK Film Council and Film4 (the latter also co-finances), and is produced in association with Protagonist and Momentum Pictures.

The story follows a 15-year-old girl from New York who is sent to England to spend the summer with her cousins. But their perfect summer (including her first love) is interrupted by the outbreak of war.

Film 4’s Tessa Ross said “We have loved the project from the first moment we read the novel, and are thrilled to see it taking shape in this way, with such a great team behind it.”

Momentum’s Xavier Marchand added: “At Momentum we pride ourselves at working with some of the best British and global directors. This is a prized addition to our line up.”

Protagonist will start presales in Cannes.

Kevin Macdonald is currently finishing Fortissimo’s Bob Marley documentary Marley, and will be in Cannes to show footage of that to buyers.