The writer of Being John Malkovich and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind has lined up his first feature-length directorial effort in five years. Charlie Kaufman will write and direct Later the War, which has Eddie Redmayne (The Day of the Jackal), Tessa Thompson (Creed), and Patsy Ferran (Mickey 17) linked to star.

Later the War is based on the short story, Debby’s Dream House, which was written by Iddo Gefen and can be found in the Jerusalem Beach collection. The story is about a man who can create dreams for others, but they have nightmares instead. There is no word on how close the film version will follow the plot of the short story.

Kaufman is a highly original voice in film and his screenplay for Being John Malkovich was one of the most inventive in years and featured an unrecognizable Cameron Diaz. The movie, directed by Spike Jonze,...