North American publishing rights for writer-director Noah Baumbach’s first book and upcoming untitled memoir were recently bought in a fierce auction by Alfred A. Knopf publishing house. Through their parent company, Penguin Random House, Knopf will publish the book in hardcover, audio, and e-book formats. UK publishing rights were sold to the John Murray publishing house. 

While Knopf and John Murray have acquired publishing rights for the book, sources say that Baumbach has yet to start fully writing the memoir as there is currently only an outline available.  

The memoir will trace Baumbach’s various life experiences, such as his upbringing in 1970s Brooklyn by film critic parents, Georgia and Jonathan; his education as an English major at Vassar College; and his relationship with cinema. 

Baumbach has had major success in his career from his early beginnings with Frances Ha to the Oscar-winning Marriage Story, which received 6 Academy Award nominations. He also co-wrote the upcoming summer blockbuster, Barbie, with his writer-director partner, Greta Gerwig, as well as Wes Anderson’s The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004) and Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009). 

Other film projects of his include Kicking and Screaming (1995), The Squid and the Whale (2005), Greenberg (2010), While We’re Young (2014), and White Noise (2022). 

Barbie releases on July 21, 2023.