Category Archives: Optioned Books

Daniel Espinosa To Adapt John Grisham’s The Racketeer

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Fox 2000 and New Regency has announced their plans to develop a big screen adaptation of John Grisham’s latest novel, “The Racketeer.” Daniel Espinosa, known for his work on the film Safe House, is looking to direct the project.

The official plot description of the novel is as follows:

Given the importance of what they do, and the controversies that often surround them, and the violent people they sometimes confront, it is remarkable that in the history of this country only four active federal judges have been murdered. Judge Raymond Fawcett just became number five.

Who is the Racketeer? And what does he have to do with the judge’s untimely demise? His name, for the moment, is Malcolm Bannister. Job status? Former attorney. Current residence? The Federal Prison Camp near Frostburg, Maryland.

On paper, Malcolm’s situation isn’t looking too good these days, but he’s got an ace up his sleeve. He knows who killed Judge Fawcett, and he knows why. The judge’s body was found in his remote lakeside cabin. There was no forced entry, no struggle, just two dead bodies: Judge Fawcett and his young secretary. And one large, state-of-the-art, extremely secure safe, opened and emptied.

What was in the safe? The FBI would love to know. And Malcolm Bannister would love to tell them. But everything has a price—especially information as explosive as the sequence of events that led to Judge Fawcett’s death. And the Racketeer wasn’t born yesterday…

Michael Shamberg and Stacey Sher are attached to produce with Espinosa and Shelley Browning executive producing.

There is no word on a projected release date or who else will be working on the project.

Two Oliver Twist Adaptations Heading To The Big Screen In 2014

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In 2012 we had dueling Snow White film adaptations in the box office and now it appears that next year moviegoers will have two Oliver Twist films face off for their approval. It was announced today that Sony Pictures has acquired the rights to turn Ahmet Zappa’s conceptual reinterpration of Charles Dicken’s “Oliver Twist” into a feature film called Dodge & Twist. 

This particular adaptation will take place 20 years after the events of the original novel written by Charles Dickens. The project will follows Oliver Twist and the Artful Dodger as they are at odds with one another. Oliver, now a police officer, tries to prevent the Dodger from a plan to steal the Crown Jewels.

The screenplay is being provided by Cole Haddon, the creator of NBC’s upcoming “Dracula” series. Zappa and Matt Tolmach will produce the feature.

The announcement of Dodge & Twist comes off the heels of the news that CBS Films had acquired the rights to create a film adaptation called Olivia Twisted. Unlike Zappa’s adaptation, Olivia Twisted is being reimagined as a hyper-real, gothic city type tale with its primary focus being a young woman named Olivia. However, she isn’t an ordinary woman. Olivia is part of a highly trained gang of street kids ranging in age from 6 to 19 who work for a criminal named Fagin. When the gang takes on a kidnapping job, it lands in the middle of a turf war between the city’s two major kingpins.

There is no word yet on when each of these films is expected to hit theaters but it seems, similarly to the Snow White battle of 2012, they will release around the same time in the box office.

 

Weinstein Co. Options Vampire Academy’s “Blood Sisters” For Feature Film

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Even though The Twilight Saga is finally finished, the vampire media trend is not quote ready to die. The Weinstein Company (TWC) announced that they have  acquired the U.S. distribution rights to “Blood Sisters.” The adaptation will be the first installment of feature film adaptations based on the “Vampire Academy” series of young adult books.

The feature film adaptation of of Blood Sisters is set to be directed by Mark Waters, who is most known for his work on Mean Girls and The Spiderwick Chronicles. Dan Waters will write the screenplay. The project is being produced by Don Murphy and Susan Montford of Angry Films, Michael Preger and Deepak Nayar of Kintop/Reliance. IM Global CEO Stuart Ford will executive produce.‪

It is based on the first book in the highly popular “Vampire Academy” series written by Richelle Mead. The book series has sold over 8 million copies in print across 35 countries. To date there are 6 books in the series, with the last 4 on the New York Times Best Sellers list.

The official plot description for Blood Sisters is as follows:

Rose Hathaway develops a mental and spiritual bond with her BVFF (best vampire friend forever) Princess Lissa. The two girls attend a strict school for vampires designed to retain their humanity where it is Rose’s task to protect the Princess. Among the everyday issues faced by teenage vampires Rose falls for Dimitri, their dreamy guardian, and together the three battle the mysterious forces of the evil Moroi who are set on destroying the Princess’s bloodline.‬

“I am thrilled to be working on the first feature for ‘Vampire Academy.’ This series is fantastic and I am excited to bring it to the screen for diehard fans and introduce the stories to a whole new audience,” said TWC Co-Chairman Harvey Weinstein.

The projected release date is set for February 14, 2014.

Legendary Plans The Esperanza Fire Adaptation

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John Mclean’s nonfiction novel, “The Esperanza Fire” has been acquired by Legendary Pictures to be adapted into a feature film. The novel is the true story of Raymond Oyler, the man charged with a devastating act of arson that caused a wildfire near Cabazon, California, west of Palm Springs, California.

The wildfire burned over 61 square miles (160 km²). Five firefighters were killed defending a vacant house locally known as the “Octagon” that was ultimately destroyed by the fire: Jason McKay, Jess McLean, Daniel Najera, Mark Loutzenhiser, and Pablo Cerda. In June 2009, Raymond Lee Oyler was sentenced to death for starting the fire.

The official plot description is as follows:

With a keen eye and ear for detail and raw emotion, Maclean dissects the tragic circumstances surrounding the deaths of five firefighters in 2006 after a wind-driven fire burned over their position on a ridge amidst a sea of chaparral and a few trees. Whether or not you’ve ever been on the front line of a wildfire, this book is a gut-wrenching, compelling narrative. It reads like a taut murder mystery, a whodunit novel you can’t put down, with a cast of fascinating characters that includes shady suspects, a dogged detective, DNA evidence, a divided jury, and the victims’ grieving family, friends, and colleagues.

The fire, started by an arsonist on October 26, 2006, burned about 42,000 acres and destroyed 34 houses. The arsonist was caught, tried, convicted, and sentenced to death. Maclean, a seasoned journalist with storytelling in his blood, spent six years piecing together the story of the crime. As for the deaths, he also answers the question, “Why?” as well it can be answered — Why did the crew of Engine 57 hold its position on that hilltop, with a fire driven by Santa Ana winds below them? And was anyone, other than Raymond Lee Oyler, the arsonist, ultimately responsible for the deaths?

Alex Hedlund is attached to oversee development on the film version. There is no word on who will be directing or starring in the project.

Oliver Twist To Become “Olivia Twisted” Through CBS Films

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Let’s forgo the obvious pun and just say that CBS Films has decided to take a different approach when deciding to adapt the classic novel “Oliver Twist” by Charles Dickens. The company has officially optioned Michael Roberts’ screenplay entitled, Olivia Twisted.

Roberts used the classic novel to create a hyper-real, gothic city type tale with its primary focus being a young woman named Olivia. However, she isn’t an ordinary woman. Olivia is part of a highly trained gang of street kids ranging in age from 6 to 19 who work for a criminal named Fagin. When the gang takes on a kidnapping job, it lands in the middle of a turf war between the city’s two major kingpins.

One of the draws of this particular adaptation is the fact that it plans to focus on the beautifully choreographed action scenes and setting as seen from the eyes of the former stuntman. The project is the debut script for Roberts, who broke into the business as a stuntman for TV shows including “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Alias” before an injury prompted a career change.

Michael De Luca and Michael De Luca Productions’ Alissa Phillips are attached to produce.

There is no word on a projected date for production or who they want to star in this gritty re-imagining.

New TV Series To Be Made From Novel Based On Real-Life Dramas of Two Police Administrators

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Police procedural dramas always do well on television as they play on viewers neurosis as well as make them feel apart of the crime solving. It is no surprise that Undergo Entertainment, a production company in Los Angeles, California, has attained the film rights and is currently working on the development of a television series based on the lives of Chris DiGiuseppi and Mike Force.

Chris DiGiuseppi and Mike Force are full-time Police Administrators who have successfully published their second book. The Fallen (HCI Books) is the second installment in The Light Bringer trilogy featuring the fantastic adventures of lead protagonist, Police Lieutenant Alan Crane. What most people don’t realize is when Crane is on duty, who he “protects and serves” reaches far beyond the world of the living.

In The Fallen, ex-military man Alan Crane and his supernatural companion Michael Simmons fulfill their duty helping people pass over to the other side. Crane delves even deeper into the mystery of death when good and evil collide once again and he and Michael discover that the darkness is now entering the world of the living. This story takes readers on a quest that leads our heroes to seek the true motives of ‘The Fallen.”

The new series will be based on the entire trilogy written by the Chief of Police and the Deputy Chief of Police of Lake St Louis, Missouri, The Light Bringer trilogy is based on real-life incidents that confront these two heroes on a daily basis. They have tried to find meaning in the tragedies they encounter through writing these books.

This full-length novel should be available in all book stores and online through Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Books-A-Million, both in hardcopy and e-book (Kindle and Nook), on February 5, 2013. You can also watch the book trailer below:

Ron Howard Eyes Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book Adaptation

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It was announced last summer that Neil Gaiman would be adapting his 2008 Newberry Medal winner novel, “The Graveyard Book.” Disney bought the movie rights after several years of attempts by different studios to adapt the novel. Now, the big screen adaptation has seemingly found a new director in Ron Howard.

Inspired by Rudyard Kipling’s 1894 classic “The Jungle Book,” Gaiman’s novel is officially described as follows:

Bod is an unusual boy who inhabits an unusual place-he’s the only living resident of a graveyard. Raised from infancy by the ghosts, werewolves, and other cemetery denizens, Bod has learned the antiquated customs of his guardians’ time as well as their timely ghostly teachings-like the ability to Fade. Can a boy raised by ghosts face the wonders and terrors of the worlds of both the living and the dead? And then there are things like ghouls that aren’t really one thing or the other.

This will be Gaiman’s third film, preceded by 2009’s Coraline and 2007’s Stardust, both of which received positive reviews. Gaiman also has a television series in the works with HBO based on his novel American Gods. His two movie adaptations have both received relative success in the box office as well. Coraline has an IMDb rating of 7.7 out of 10 and Stardust received a 7.8.

Henry Selick had plans to adapt The Graveyard Book as a stop-motion feature for Walt Disney Pictures, but the new vision of the project has it moving forward as a live-action film. There is no word on when they expect this adaptation to move forward into production or who they wish to star in the feature. However, with Ron Howard at the helm, the movie appears to be in good hands.

James Ponsoldt Signs On To Write and Direct The Big Screen Adaptation of Pure

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James Ponsoldt has officially signed on to write and direct Fox 2000’s upcoming film adaptation, Pure, based on the novel of the same name written by Julianna Baggott. The novel is the first in a planned trilogy and is set to be released in early 2012.

“Pure” has an official plot summary that follows:

We know you are here, our brothers and sisters . . .

Pressia barely remembers the Detonations or much about life during the Before. In her sleeping cabinet behind the rubble of an old barbershop where she lives with her grandfather, she thinks about what is lost-how the world went from amusement parks, movie theaters, birthday parties, fathers and mothers . . . to ash and dust, scars, permanent burns, and fused, damaged bodies. And now, at an age when everyone is required to turn themselves over to the militia to either be trained as a soldier or, if they are too damaged and weak, to be used as live targets, Pressia can no longer pretend to be small. Pressia is on the run.

Burn a Pure and Breathe the Ash . . .

There are those who escaped the apocalypse unmarked. Pures. They are tucked safely inside the Dome that protects their healthy, superior bodies. Yet Partridge, whose father is one of the most influential men in the Dome, feels isolated and lonely. Different. He thinks about loss-maybe just because his family is broken; his father is emotionally distant; his brother killed himself; and his mother never made it inside their shelter. Or maybe it’s his claustrophobia: his feeling that this Dome has become a swaddling of intensely rigid order. So when a slipped phrase suggests his mother might still be alive, Partridge risks his life to leave the Dome to find her.

When Pressia meets Partridge, their worlds shatter all over again.

Karen Rosenfelt is attached to produce the film version. There is no word yet on when the film is expected to be underway or a projected release date for the completed film.

You can check out a trailer for the novel itself in the player below:

Homer’s Odyssey Heads To Space With Sci-Fi Adaptation

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We’ve seen Odysseus be pretty much a badass in all major settings except the final frontier (that’s right, I said it and I am not ashamed.) Warner Bros. is FINALLY making Homer’s awesomely epic epic, The Odyssey, into a science fiction film. The studio has officially hired James DiLapo to write the script to the futuristic remaining. Warner Bros has also put in place a blind writing deal behind the project to keep him in the studio fold.

High school english just wasn’t complete till you read Homer’s The Iliad and The Odyssey both of which have been previously adapted and most likely viewed by you. The Iliad was adapted into the Wolfgang Petersen-directed Troy, which starred Brad Pitt as Achilles. The Odyssey was most famously adapted in 1997 starring Armand Assante, Greta Scacchi, Irene Pappas, Isabella Rossellini, Bernadette Peters,Christopher Lee, and Vanessa L. Williams.

The Odyssey centers on the Greek hero Odysseus and his journey home after the fall of Troy. It takes Odysseus ten years to reach Ithaca after the ten-year Trojan War. In his absence, it is assumed he has died, and his wife Penelope and son Telemachus must deal with a group of unruly suitors who compete for Penelope’s hand in marriage.

Terry Dougas of 1821 Pictures hatched the idea of setting the tale in space and he and cohort Paris Kasidokostas Latsis brought the idea to the studio. The project got kickstarted with the pitch by DiLapo. The studio now sees it as a potential franchise and it’s being steered by Greg Silverman and Courtenay Valenti and Racheline Benveniste.

There is no word yet on when the project is expected to begin production or who they want to star in the epic. How they will adapt the story for a space/futuristic setting will be interesting to see but not to difficult given the universal themes that makes the story relatable throughout the ages.

The Taming of the Shrew Adaptation Secures Anne Hathaway

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Since staring in Les Miserables, Anne Hathaway seems to be jumping on the classic literature remake bandwagon. Rumor has it that the Hathaway is set to star in the upcoming big screen adaptation of the William Shakespeare play, “The Taming of the Shrew.”

Rather than a straight forward period film, the project will be a modern-day retelling of the play set in mid-20th century Italy. Considering this will be set in a more current time frame, the question remains of whether or not this retelling will retain the misogynistic elements of mens control over women and the desire to have a compliant and obedient wife remain. It is the 20th century after all and women have finally been given permission to have free will, right? That’s a thing right?

In case you didn’t read this on your own or in 11th grade english class, “The Taming of the Shrew” follows the tale of two sisters. One unsurprisingly more lovely than the other. The story depicts the utter gentlemen, Petruchio, as he attempts to court and marry the headstrong and titular “shrew” that is Katherina. Considering the fact that she didn’t choose Petruchio as a suitor, she is understandably an unwilling participant in the relationship. However, through “taming” and the various psychological torments that is the definition of true love, Katherina becomes the obedient bride every man desires. There is also a subplot featuring the hotter sister and a competition of men vying for her attention and thusly her hand in marriage.

Us women need some taming by the men in our lives in order to find someone who is willing to deal with our hysteria, amiright? Forget those old ideals of true love and happiness, that takes a whole lot of work after all. Just marry us off to some dick who will deny us food and water while physically and emotionally humiliating us in front of our friends and family at our wedding and then hence forth the rest of our lives. It’s every girls dream, right?

What a great tale! My hopes are that this modern-day retelling is more closely related to 10 Things I Hate About You rather than the actual play.

Abi Morgan has signed on to script the adaptation. The project will be produced by Debra Hayward and Working Title, another individual with knowledge of the film told TheWrap.

“The Taming of the Shrew” was famously adapted in 1967 staring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. Another adaptation, also a modern-day retelling, was released in 1999 in the form of 10 Things I Hate About You starring Heath Ledger and Julia Stiles.

The casting of Hathaway is only a rumor at this point as Universal, Working Title and Hathaway’s representatives at CAA all declined to comment on the project.