Els Vandevorst [pictured] of N279 Entertainment has acquired film rights to The Angel Maker, the 2005 novel by Stefan Brijs.

Christophe Van Rompaey, whose credits include Moscow Belgium and Lena, will direct.

The Angel Maker is about an autistic eccentric man who works as a scientist but has simplistic views of good and evil.

Vandevorst’s latest book adaptation, Nono, The Zigzag Kid, was the opening night film of the Netherlands Film Festival last week.

Producer Els Vandevorst, N279 Entertainment, said: ‘I have worked with Christophe van Rompaey before, on the film Lena. He is an extremely strong director who is able to elevate characters, making them both exceptional and believable. I am certain we are going to make something very special with Stefan Brijs’ wonderful book The Angel Maker.’

Director Christophe van Rompaey said: ‘Of all the books you read in your lifetime, only very few make such a strong impression that they stay with you for the rest of your life. For me, The Angel Maker is one of these exceptional books; I sensed this immediately, the first time I read it.’

Author Stefan Brijs added: ‘The Angel Maker and its main character Victor Hoppe have fired the imaginations of many filmmakers already. In the pairing of Vandevorst/Van Rompaey, I found two highly competent and passionate professionals, and I am confident that they will make a film that will leave its audiences just as enthralled as the readers of my book.’

Antonino Lombardo (Prime Time) will co-produce.

N279 (formerly Isabella Films) also has It’s All So Quiet by Nanouk Leopold in post.