Ridley Scott to Direct Vampire Movie, Justin Cronin's The Passage
Posted 08.04.10 by reelz
In case you need further proof that vampires aren't dead (no pun intended), look no further than new adult publishing sensation The Passage. Written by Justin Cronin, endorsed by Stephen King, and optioned for film by Ridley Scott's production company, the 784-page tome looks set to be the next big thing.
The Passage takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where, thanks to a virus capable of causing vampirism, 40 million undead roam. Six-year-old Amy Harper Bellafonte is the most important person in the world, and could be the key to its survival.
Cronin sold movie rights before the book's June 2010 publication, in what turned out to be a bidding war between several major movie studios. Ridley Scott (Robin Hood, Gladiator) walked away with the rights, and a theater release is rumored for 2013.
In a recent interview, author Cronin expressed his enthusiasm for Scott's vision.
Yes I am [excited], because the people involved are so smart — the most talented people in Hollywood are involved. Ridley Scott has directed every kind of movie that's similar to The Passage in story, everything from horror to sci-fi to world building. The Passage is a multi-genre thing. He's worked in all those genres and has a great visual palette with a great sense of spectacle.
He also spoke about scheduling and the movie studio war.
It's happening. The screenplay is almost done, and the guy they hired to do that is John Logan who wrote Gladiator for Ridley Scott. This is quite a team, and you have to be happy about that. We'll know a lot more by the end of summer, in terms of scheduling and where it's going to fall on the calendar. Again, it's a great compliment for the book that people of that caliber are involved. You don't do better.
It was a real wrestling match between a number of extremely big movie studios. There were four studios who wanted it — their resumes were very impressive, and I couldn't believe my luck. I had everyone's offer on the table, and I just had to pick one out. It was easy, honestly. Fox and Scott Free, Ridley Scott's production company, came in at the end. It has that quality of spectacle. I didn't write it in those terms, but that's what they saw. I'm looking forward to seeing it.
With Ridley Scott and Co. behind this one, we're expecting more Let the Right One In than Twilight. Have you read The Passage? Let us know your thoughts about a movie version in the comments.