So far, there’s been no further information on expected production dates or she’ll approach the project, but speaking to Billboard in January, she said though horror had never been her passion, she was attracted to the absurdity of black comedy.

“I never saw myself even seeing a horror film. I can’t watch them, because everything disgusting or violent just gets seared into my retinas […] But it was very amazing when I got asked to direct [XX]. Surprisingly, I had the best time […]

“Though I don’t do well with blood and guts and gore, I love things that are absurd. Comedy and horror actually have a lot in common, like the tension between the setup and the punchline. That dynamic is something I certainly include in my music.”

The script for the latest big-screen adaptation of the book will be written by David Birke (Elle, Slenderman). Previous incarnations include a 1945 film starring Angela Lansbury as Sibyl Vane (a singer left heartbroken by Gray), for which she earned an Oscar nomination. More recently, a 2009 version starring Ben Barnes (The Chronicles of Narnia) and Colin Firth received mixed reviews.

Image: Rex Features

St. Vincent is giving this iconic novel a feminist film makeover