Film rights to Anthony De Sa's BARNACLE LOVE, about the wrenching forces that tear a Portuguese immigrant family apart, to singer-songwriter Nelly Furtado's Nelstar Entertainment, by Sean Daily at Hotchkiss and Associates, on behalf of Denise Bukowski at The Bukowski Agency.
Ghost Huntress by Marley Gibson
Film rights to Marley Gibson's GHOST HUNTRESS series, about a sixteen-year-old girl who moves from Chicago to an historic Southern town and begins to discover her latent psychic powers (the third in the series THE REASON, will be published in May) to Shoulderhill Entertainment, by Sean Daily at Hotchkiss and Associates, on behalf of Deidre Knight at The Knight Agency.
Nubs by Brian Dennis, Mary Nethery, and Kirby Larson
Hollywood Reporter: Warner Bros. laps up dog story 'Nubs'
Real-life tale focuses on U.S. marine in Iraq and his mutt
Warner Bros. is going to the dogs, signing on to acquire and develop "Nubs," a feel-good story of a pooch and a U.S. Marine based on a publishing sensation.
The project will reunite Warners with Justin Zackham, the writer of its Jack Nicholson breakout "The Bucket List" two years ago. Zackham will pen and produce the canine tale.
"Nubs" tells the story of a stray dog that Maj. Brian Dennis rescued while on a tour of duty on the front lines in Iraq. After nursing the dog back to health and caring for it as his own, he arranged to have him shipped back to the U.S. and was reunited with the dog when his tour ended.
The story became a media phenomenon in the fall, with Dennis and Nubs making appearances on such programs as "Today," "The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien" and "The Ellen DeGeneres Show."
In addition to Dennis' life rights, filmmakers have acquired the top-selling children's book "Nubs: A Marine, a Mutt and a Miracle," which Dennis wrote with Mary Nethery and Kirby Larson. The Little, Brown Books for Young Readers title was published two weeks ago and sits at No. 4 on the New York Times children's best-seller list.
Zackham will produce the pic with his Two Ton Films producing partner Clay Pecorin and with Dan Levine, the former Paramount exec who helped oversee "Cloverfield" and "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra" for the studio. Warners has pre-emptively acquired the project, with Jon Berg overseeing for the studio.
The project grew out of a relationship Zackham initiated with Dennis when the Marine was in Iraq, with the screenwriter-producer contacting the soldier after he read reports of the Nubs story.
Those familiar with the project say it has echoes of "Marley & Me," the Fox breakout that grossed $245 million worldwide and focused on complicated relationships between humans -- and complicated relationships between humans and their dogs.
"It's a story that parents can take their kids to but that adults can also go to and appreciate," Zackham said. "It's one of those movies that everyone can take something from."
The terrain of the Iraq War will serve as a backdrop, but the pic is not expected to contain combat scenes.
The Kapital-repped Zackham is writing "One Chance" at Paramount, the story of British opera singing sensation Paul Potts, and he created "Lights Out," the boxing drama that has been picked by FX. He noted that he likes to toggle between dramatizing real stories and inventing new ones.
"Sometimes it's nice to build the house (from scratch), and sometimes it's nice to pick out the furniture," he said.
In The Neighborhood by Peter Lovenheim
Film rights to Peter Lovenheim's forthcoming nonfiction book IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, the true story of when Lovenheim, concerned for the lack of community in his suburban area, started asking his neighbors if he could come over to their houses for sleepovers to get to know them better, to Julia Roberts' Red Om Films, with Philip Rose and Lisa Gillan and Roberts producing, along with Reliance Big Entertainment, by Sean Daily at Hotchkiss and Associates, on behalf of Geri Thoma at Markson Thoma.
VARIETY: Julia Roberts moves to 'Neighborhood'
Red Om acquires screen rights to book
By MICHAEL FLEMING
Julia Roberts' production shingle Red Om Films has acquired screen rights to "In the Neighborhood," a nonfiction book by Peter Lovenheim to be published next April by Perigee.
Deal marks the fifth property Red Om has set up through its first-look pact with Reliance Big Entertainment; Red Om's is one of the 10 accords the India-based giant made with production companies of A-list stars and directors. Reliance Big's hope is to nurture 30 star-driven films it can co-finance with studios.
"In the Neighborhood" starts with Lovenheim's realization of a lack of community in his suburban hometown. In an effort to get to know his neighbors better, he asks if he can come to their homes for sleepovers. His goal: to facilitate something more than the feeling of strangers living with strangers in modern suburbia.
Red Om sparked to the Capra-esque element, and Reliance Big agreed.
Philip Rose and Lisa Gillan as well as Roberts will produce for Red Om.
Roberts, who's currently shooting "Eat, Pray, Love" for Columbia Pictures, hasn't had a first-look studio deal since her alliance ended with Joe Roth's Revolution.
Horns by Joe Hill
VARIETY: Mandalay sprouts 'Horns'
Film unit options rights to upcoming novel
By MARC GRASER
Mandalay Pictures has optioned the film rights to the upcoming novel "Horns," penned by Joe Hill, son of Stephen King.
Novel is described as a love story driven by horror and vengeance that revolves around a 26-year-old man who wakes up one morning from a blackout hangover and finds horns sprouting out of his head. As the horns grow bigger by the day, the reason why seems to lie in the unsolved murder of his girlfriend.
Book will be published by William Morrow in February.
Deal for "Horns" becomes the latest project for Mandalay as its pursues a strategy, spearheaded by prexy Cathy Schulman, to option properties and develop them inhouse before seeking financing or shopping them to the studios. Effort is seen as a way to speed up the development process while also maintaining more creative control.
Mandalay has already packaged best-selling novels -- Lauren Weisberger's "Chasing Harry Winston" and Spencer Quinn's "Dog on It" -- before selling them to Universal, where Mandalay has a first-look deal.
Mandalay topper Peter Guber and Schulman will produce "Horns" at Mandalay, while Hill serves as an executive producer.
Hill's first novel, "Heart-Shaped Box," was picked up by Warner Bros.
Hill uses an abbreviated version of his middle name (Hillstrom) so as not to be immediately associated with his famous father. Few people were aware of his parentage until the Daily Variety story on "Heart-Shaped Box" was published in 2006.
Over the past year, Mandalay has also optioned and is developing Liquid Comics' "Ramayan 3392 A.D.," Larry Beinhart's book "Salvation Boulevard" and Oni Press' graphic novel "Julius."
Mandalay is prepping "The Untitled Elephant Project" at New Line and Warner Bros., "When Dads Were Men" at CBS and "Sinatra" with Martin Scorsese at U.
Bitch is the New Black by Helena Andrews
Film rights to Journalist Helena Andrews's memoir BITCH IS THE NEW BLACK, a satirical, closely observed look at the new generation of young, successful black women in Washington DC with all the hope of Obama's new order, to Miramax Films with Betsy Beers and Shonda Rhimes (GREY'S ANATOMY) producing, and Andrews writing the screenplay, by Hotchkiss and Associates, on behalf of Howard Yoon at the Gail Ross Literary Agency.
Knife Fight by Joel Goldman
Television rights to Joel Goldman's KNIFE FIGHT, to Sony Pictures Television with 25C Productions producing, by Sean Daily at Hotchkiss and Associates, on behalf of Meredith Bernstein at the Meredith Bernstein Literary Agency.
The Perfect Fiance by Michele McPhee
Film rights to Michele McPhee's book on the Craigslist killer, optioned to Sony TV, to be produced by Judith Verno, by Jody Hotchkiss of Hotchkiss and Associates, on behalf of Jane Dystel at Dystel & Goderich Literary Management.
The Girl She Used to Be by David Cristofano
Film rights to David Cristofano's THE GIRL SHE USED TO BE, about a woman who after 20 years in witness protection decides to trust the son of the mobster who she's been running from since she was a little girl, to Mark Johnson's Gran Via Productions (THE NOTEBOOK, MY SISTER'S KEEPER) and Julie Lynn (THE JANE AUSTEN BOOK CLUB), by Sean Daily at Hotchkiss and Associates, on behalf of Pamela Harty at The Knight Agency.
Oliver Nocture by Kevin Emerson
Film rights to Kevin Emerson's OLIVER NOCTURNE books, about a vampire boy in Seattle whose supernatural destiny is to liberate the vampires from earth, a feat that will destroy the world in the process, along with the human friends he holds dear; to Overbrook Entertainment (HANCOCK, I AM LEGEND), by Hotchkiss and Associates, on behalf of George Nicholson at Sterling Lord Literistic.
Dinotrux by Chris Gall
Film rights to artist Chris Gall's DINOTRUX, an illustrated children's book about bionic part truck-part dinosaurs similar to Transformers, who roamed the earth and battled each other millions of years ago, to DreamWorks Animation for a 3-D feature film, by Hotchkiss and Associates, on behalf George Nicholson at Sterling Lord Literistic.
VARIETY: DreamWorks to drive 'Dinotrux'
Animation studio options rights to kiddie book
By Michael Fleming
DreamWorks Animation has optioned rights to "Dinotrux," an illustrated children's book that will be developed as a CG-animated film. Deal was for mid-six figures.
Written by Chris Gall, the 32-page book takes place in a fictional prehistoric age, when the world was ruled by Dinotrux, creatures that were part trucks, part dinosaurs, with species like the Craneosauraus, Garbageadon and Tyrannosaurus Trux plowing and bulldozing their way across the terrain.
The title characters will be talking creatures.
Gall is a commercial illustrator who has written three other books. "Dinotrux" will be published in April by Little, Brown.
Hotchkiss and Associates brokered the deal for Sterling Lord.
Grandma's Intergalactic Bed and Breakfast by Clete Smith
Film rights to Clete Smith's GRANDMA'S INTERGALACTIC BED & BREAKFAST, about a boy who goes to visit his hippie grandmother for the first time and discovers that her inn is a portal for comical aliens from all over the universe -- a secret that, until now, she has been able to keep from her small town, to Walt Disney for Mandeville Films (Beverly Hills Chihuahua) to produce, by Hotchkiss and Associates, on behalf of George Nicholson at Sterling Lord Literistic.
Down River by John Hart
Film rights to Edgar Award winner John Hart's DOWN RIVER, about a man whose world disintegrates when he returns to his home town five years after being arrested for a murder charge, to Gil Adler (VALKYRIE, SUPERMAN RETURNS) and Articulus Entertainment, by Hotchkiss and Associates, on behalf of Mickey Choate at The Choate Agency.
Looking at Animals by Josh Goldfaden
Film rights to Josh Goldfaden's LOOKING AT ANIMALS short story, from his collection HUMAN RESOURCES, about a retired nature photographer who now observes the behavior of his suburban neighbors, to Big Beach Films (LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE) for a short film, by Sean Daily at Hotchkiss and Associates, on behalf of Alex Glass at Trident Media Group.
Foreskin's Lament by Shalom Auslander
Film rights to New Yorker writer and This American Life correspondent Shalom Auslander's FORESKIN'S LAMENT, a memoir describing his Orthodox Jewish upbringing like a sardonic Portnoy, imagining worst-case scenarios that would be "so God," to writer/director Ric Cantor (Da Ali G. Show) for Steve Golin (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Babel) to produce, by Hotchkiss and Associates.
Stranger with My Face by Lois Duncan
Television rights to I Know What You Did Last Summer author Lois Duncan's STRANGER WITH MY FACE, about a perfect high school student whose malevolent identical twin inhabits her through astral projection and wreaks havoc on her life, to Lifetime with Jaffe/Braunstein Films (The Memory Keeper's Daughter) producing, by Hotchkiss and Associates, on behalf of George Nicholson at Sterling Lord Literistic.
In His Sights by Kate Brennan
Television rights to Kate Brennan's IN HIS SIGHTS, the true story of a smart, successful writer who has been stalked by the same man for 13 years (and continues to live in hiding today), to Sony Pictures Television, by Hotchkiss and Associates, on behalf of Marly Rusoff at Marly Rusoff & Associates.
Maisie Dobbs By Jaqueline Winspear
TV rights to New York Times bestselling author Jacqueline Winspear's series featuring psychologist and investigator Maisie Dobbs, to Sally Head Productions, producer of the Prime Suspect series, by Sean Daily at Hotchkiss and Associates, on behalf of Amy Rennert.
Killing Rommel By Steven Pressfield
Film rights to Steven Pressfield's KILLING ROMMEL, the WWII story of the elite Long Range Desert Group of soldiers whose mission was to assassinate the German Field Marshal by tracking him commando-style through the unforgiving North African desert in a small, fast convoy of light trucks bristling with fire power like Mad Max, to Walt Disney Pictures and producer Jerry Bruckheimer, with Pressfield adapting along with Randall Wallace, by Hotchkiss and Associates, on behalf of Sterling Lord at Sterling Lord Literistic.
House of Night By PC and Kristin Cast
NYT bestselling authors PC Cast and Kristin Cast's HOUSE OF NIGHT series, set in the school where young "marked" students train to become adult vampires, to Michael Birnbaum at Empire Pictures (JOHN TUCKER MUST DIE, BANDITS), by Sean Daily at Hotchkiss and Associates, on behalf of Meredith Bernstein at the Meredith Bernstein Literary Agency.