20th Century Studios has hired Australian director Julius Avery to helm "Crush," a snake-themed survival thriller, marking the first major step forward for the project since the studio won a competitive multi-studio bidding war for the spec script last autumn. Avery, known for genre fare including "Overlord" and "The Pope's Exorcist," takes on a story reportedly inspired by true events and told largely in real time, following a woman hiking alone in the Everglades who becomes trapped in the coils of a giant python.

The script was written on spec by Temple Hill executive John Fischer, who posted it to the Black List under the pseudonym J.W. Archer before its provenance emerged and sparked studio interest. Temple Hill is backing Fischer as a producer alongside Scott Glassgold of 12:01 Films, with J.R. Young overseeing the project for 20th Century Studios. Avery previously directed "Son of a Gun," "Overlord," "Samaritan" and "The Pope's Exorcist," and is represented by WME, Brillstein Entertainment Partners, and Gang, Tyre, Ramer.