We're still reeling from the chaos of Monsters, but Cooper Koch might already have landed his next role. The internet is reeling, after author Hanya Yanagihara, posted a photo of Koch holding her heartbreaking novel, A Little Life. But was it just a cute snap of an actor and his current read, or a hint of something more to come? Let's investigate.
What has Cooper Koch said about A Little Life?
Rumours began when Koch appeared on The Drew Barrymore Show, saying, "It's my favourite book, I've read it a number of times." He continued, "I know that Hanya's been trying to get it made for TV [...] and I think it's still in the early stages of being developed. I'm trying to get a meeting with her."
Obviously, with the aforementioned image now out in the world, it looks likely that Koch's wish came true, and he did manage to score a meeting with Yanagihara.
What is A Little Life about?
Ostensibly, the book is about four gay friends who move from a small Massachusetts college, to make their way in New York. Per the book's official synopsis, "There is kind, handsome Willem, an aspiring actor; JB, a quick-witted, sometimes cruel Brooklyn-born painter seeking entry to the art world; Malcolm, a frustrated architect at a prominent firm; and withdrawn, brilliant, enigmatic Jude, who serves as their centre of gravity."
As it progresses, however, the story is less about friendship, and increasingly depressing and bleak. Without giving too much away, the synopsis continues, "Over the decades, their relationships deepen and darken, tinged by addiction, success, and pride. Yet their greatest challenge, each comes to realize, is Jude himself, by midlife a terrifyingly talented litigator yet an increasingly broken man, his mind and body scarred by an unspeakable childhood, and haunted by what he fears is a degree of trauma that he’ll not only be unable to overcome—but that will define his life forever."
How has the internet reacted to a possible adaptation?
While the image of Koch and his copy of the book garnered millions of views on TikTok, not everyone was happy about a potential adaptation. In particular, many felt that a film version would simply be too traumatic. "A Little Life is about a man whose whole entire life is so terrible it starts to feel like a looney tunes cartoon," one user wrote on X. Over on TikTok, another user described the plot—particularly as it pertains to Jude—as "unending, nightmarish, torture."
We'll admit, the story is undoubtedly dark, but Koch has already proved himself adept at handling complex stories on screen. We'll certainly be watching closely to see how this news unfolds.
Want more book-to-film goodness? Read up on Verity, the latest Colleen Hoover novel headed for cinemas.
