Stephen Gaghan to helm Barbarian Days for Amazon Studios

Oscar-winning filmmaker Stephen Gaghan will write and direct the upcoming feature Barbarian Days for Amazon Studios. The project is based on William Finnegan's bestselling memoir of the same name that won the Pulitzer Prize in 2016.

The book chronicles Finnegan's love affair with surfing and how it became "an obsession, a beautiful addiction, a demanding course of study, a morally dangerous pastime, a way of life."

"The tale starts when the author was an 8-year old kid who caught the surf bug. It helped him navigate a 'locals-only' elementary school on Oahu and those same skills - understanding another culture, finding common ground, courage and empathy - helped Finnegan find his way as a writer, husband, father. And a surfer," the logline read.

The project will be produced by Gaghan and Ted Hope under his multi-picture deal with the studio. Finnegan will serve as an executive producer.

Gaghan is best known for writing the screenplay of the 2000 movie Traffic, for which he won an Oscar. As a director, he has helmed movies such as Syriana, Gold, and most recently Dolittle.