photo by: Contributed

Author Michael Koryta, right, talks with director Paul Shoulberg on the set of "So Cold the River" at West Baden Springs Hotel in West Baden Springs, Indiana.

Lawrence native Paul Shoulberg’s latest movie, an adaptation of The New York Times bestseller “So Cold the River,” is getting rave reviews from someone who really matters to him: the book’s author, Michael Koryta.

The independent film — a supernatural thriller with elements of horror — tells the story of documentary filmmaker Erica Shaw as she tries to unravel mysteries associated with a subject she’s been hired to profile.

“This novel is a bestseller and had been through various studio developmental processes,” Shoulberg says. Other filmmakers wanted to change a lot about it, but Koryta “had been through that for years and years. He was really interested in making a doable, smaller version that honored the spirit of the book.”

Born and raised in Lawrence, where he graduated from the University of Kansas, Shoulberg attended graduate school at the University of Indiana and has filmed all of his movies in that state. Koryta, of Indiana, wanted a filmmaker who would maintain the book’s integrity during the adaptation process.

“As a novelist your great hope is to find a writer who is better than you and also cares as much about the story, and that’s what I felt I found in Paul,” Koryta says. “I remember leaving that (initial) coffee meeting and calling my wife and saying, ‘Wow, this guy — he’s just a different breed.’ The ideas he had right out of the gate on how to make this work as a movie (were) impressive.”

photo by: Contributed

A movie poster for “So Cold the River”

Koryta says he was struck by Shoulberg’s humility as well as by his talent. During their first meeting, Shoulberg never mentioned the fact that he had filmed a movie with William H. Macy (“Walter” from 2015), a detail that Koryta says other filmmakers would have frontloaded. Instead of name dropping, Shoulberg focused on his vision for the film.

While writing the screenplay Shoulberg corresponded with Koryta regularly to remain as true as possible to the book.

“We didn’t have a large budget,” Shoulberg says. “The book is 500 pages of pretty dense big-scale action — tornadoes, explosions, things that are hard to do in production. So we had to make those kinds of compromises, but not artistic ones.”

During his time at KU, Shoulberg studied under Academy Award-winning filmmaker Kevin Willmott.

“One of the things that propelled me into screenwriting is when I studied under Kevin Willmott,” Shoulberg says. “I owe a lot to him.”

As a student Shoulberg would seek out Willmott during his office hours to talk about film. From the onset Willmott was struck by Shoulberg’s potential.

“I was impressed from the moment I met him and read his work,” Willmott says. “He’s always just had a great sensibility with his art, with his message. That was the thing, you know, he was very sophisticated as a student and had a great sensibility in terms of irony, satire and drama, and he had all the tenets working for him in his work.”

Willmott says he uses Shoulberg as a model when talking to his students about how to succeed in film.

“He has made a lot of great films,” Willmott says. “The thing I tried to tell Paul — and he got it as much as I’ve ever seen any of my students get it — is that he couldn’t wait for someone to give him permission. He had to find a way to do it — to tell a story and express himself. … He’s found a way to tell his story.”

For Shoulberg, who directed “Ms. White Light” and “The Good Catholic,” this is his biggest production to date, and he filmed it just before COVID took root.

“When we finished shooting, no one knew what COVID was on our set,” Shoulberg says. “We finished shooting the film about two weeks before COVID. You make the films so long before they come out it’s always really strange. It feels a little like watching a film made by someone else.”

Most of the film, which was released at the end of March, takes place at an Indiana hotel known for its atrium spanning 200 feet. Not only was the movie filmed on set at West Baden Springs Hotel, but the hotel provided catering and room and board for many of the actors.

“(The atrium) is ridiculously huge and this awesome dome,” Shoulberg says. “(The hotel) was excited to do this. And the (setting) is so special and unique. There’s no way we could have done it without their support.”

Shoulberg’s next big project is not a film. Inspired by Koryta, he is determined to write his own novel.

Working with Koryta “lit a fire under me,” he says. “I’ve always loved fiction and what better time to delve into a novel?”