Diego Luna will direct a film adaptation of Brenda Navarro’s Eating Ashes, publisher W.W. Norton announced in a news release.
Navarro’s novel, which is set to be published in the U.S. in a translation by Megan McDowell in January, follows an unnamed narrator who is struggling to come to terms with the suicide of her younger brother, whom she helped raise. In a starred review, a critic for Kirkus called the book “a sensitive portrayal of sibling love, grief, and the trauma of dislocation.” The novel won the Cálamo Award and the Madrid Bookstores Association Award, two prestigious Spanish literary prizes.
The adaptation, titled Ceniza en la boca, will be the fourth feature film directed by Rogue One and Andor star Luna, following Abel, César Chávez, and Mr. Pig. The Spanish-language movie is co-written by Luna, Abia Castillo, and Diego Rabasa.
Starring in the film will be Anna Díaz (Let Me Be With You), Adriana Paz (Emilia Pérez), Laura Gómez (Orange Is the New Black), and Charlie Rowe (Wolf Hall).
Luna, who is also a producer on the film, called Navarro’s novel “a haunting, tragic story of siblings far from home.…[and] a moving take on migration, racism, and inequality that is as pertinent as ever.”
The movie, which was shot in Madrid, Barcelona, and Mexico City, is set for release in the fall of 2026.
Michael Schaub is a contributing writer.
