At the time of the short story's publication in the The New Yorker, it was quite controversial as it dealt with themes of mob mentality. The story shifts from hope to disbelief in a span of a few pages. The last scene of the story was a shocker back then (and still is now) as the fate of a mother looked very dim. I wouldn't even reveal the plot of the story for those who don't know it. Just read The Lottery without knowing a thing about it (it won't take you long to finish it, after all it's a short story) and you will be pleasantly surprised.
In general, It's great to hear more short stories are being adapted into films. I can't wait to hear more news and I hope the studio does an excellent job of making a great film from a great thriller. And speaking of great thriller, you can read an excerpt of my short story The Box In the Space Room by clicking the title itself. Take care and happy reading.