Alex Bell – fantasy author

Ninth Circle Press Release from Reelart Media:

Monday 8 March 2010- London

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PRESS RELEASE

The Ninth Circle by Rising Star Author Alex Bell, Optioned for Movie Rights  

Reelart Media Limited are pleased to announce that Reelart have optioned Movie Rights for The Ninth Circle by Gollancz fantasy author, Alex Bell. Hampshire based Alex Bell is recognised as an up-and-coming young British talent with three novels successfully published to high critical acclaim.

Contracts have been signed to bring the book’s hero Gabriel Antaeus to where he rightly belongs – on the big screen.  With a movie adaptation already underway and directors, leading cast and locations being sought in the UK and Hungary, production is expected to commence September 2010.

Reelart Managing Director, Daniel O’Toole stated, ‘We are thrilled to be working hard, to turn Alex’s first novel into what will undoubtedly be a talked about movie adaptation.  We believe we have found a talented, young British writer and the character of Gabriel Antaeus is one we can see developing into other projects. Obviously we’re very excited to bring this novel to the big screen.’

‘Alex Bell and her novels already have a growing army of fans and we know we can do justice to her work,’ Reelart Producer, Matthew O’Toole commented as contracts were signed.

‘After my initial meeting with Reelart, I knew they were the right people to bring my work to life. It’s always such a pleasure to talk to people who really get the book, and if anyone can successfully bring a faithful version of The Ninth Circle to the big screen, I am sure it is them,’ said Alex Bell.

The Ninth Circle, is Alex Bell’s first novel and begins as our mysterious hero wakes beaten and bloodied on the floor of a Budapest flat with no recall of his past.  His efforts to rediscover his identity are punctuated with cryptic clues, strange visions, terrifying dreams which eventually come together into an epic battle of good and evil and Gabriel asking the question: is it really better the devil you know?

The Ninth Circle takes its place in Reelart’s upcoming production slate with production due to commence September 2010.

—-ENDS—-

Notes to Editors:

For more information on Reelart Media Limited:

www.reelartmedia.com

For more information on Alex Bell:

www.alex-bell.co.uk

For more up to date releases on The Ninth Circle Movie

www.theninthcirclemovie.com

For more information on The Ninth Circle Novel and reviews

http://www.alex-bell.co.uk/books/the-ninth-circle/ 

I’m very pleased to announce that the film rights for The Ninth Circle have been optioned by Reelart Media. After meeting with Matthew and Daniel O’Toole of Reelart, I was very impressed both with their enthusiasm for the book, and their understanding of it. It’s always such a pleasure to talk to people who really get the book, and if anyone can successfully bring a faithful version of The Ninth Circle to the big screen, I am sure it is them.

I can’t add too much more about it at this stage because it’s all top secret, and if I told you I would have to kill you – or send Sam Sykes to kill you – but watch this space . . .

In other news, Lex Trent versus The Gods has also been optioned for film. Lex and his twin brother Lucius are to be played by none other than John and Edward Grimes, otherwise known as Jedward, who, as I have already stated elsewhere, look shockingly like the Lex Trent I see in my head (apart from the hair, obviously):

Nah, I’m only kidding. About Lex, that is. The Ninth Circle/Reelart stuff is all true.

Today I have received the Portuguese edition of The Ninth Circle, or, 09.˚ Cίrculo, as it is in Portuguese. I have since had several requests for photos, so here they are:

Front:

And back:

I am incredibly chuffed with this version of the cover. The stone angels give it a religious look, which I love, and I think it has a fantastic gothic feel to it. I have been very lucky with all of my front covers so far. Law of averages says that at some point I will have to get a cover that I’m not delighted with, but it hasn’t happened yet. When it does, I will, of course, have to be publicly tactful about it, and just say something like ‘this is an . . . interesting front cover’. But, thankfully, that day is not today.

Publicações Europa-América are the publishers for this one, and they have also got the Portuguese rights for Jasmyn as well. I very much hope that when they bring Jasmyn out they do it in a similar style to this one, as I think that would look absolutely stunning.

It seems very odd flicking through a book that I know I wrote, but which I can’t understand because it’s all in a different language. If only I were as multi-lingual as Gabriel – then I could read this book, and any other foreign language edition I receive in the future. Alas, I shall just have to content myself with flicking through it with a big grin on my face.

As previously mentioned here, each time one of my books comes out, my Mum gets me a gorgeous book teacup designed by the eminently talented, and fantastically named, Bethan Lloyd Worthington. Bethan is given a list of keywords from the book, and designs the cups from these so that they are based on elements from the story. It’s like getting a front cover, only even better.

Lex Trent versus The Gods is due to be published on the 4th February but Amazon are sending it out already, and I hear that it has been spotted in some book shops, so I have my teacup a little early.

Photos don’t quite do it justice because the fine detail is easier to see in real life, but they should give the jist. You also cannot tell from the photos that the cup and saucer have both been sandblasted in order to make it appear that they have been lost in the sea for a few millenia – or a few years, at any rate. Whilst I was in Las Vegas last year I went to a Titanic exhibition that showcased some of the exhibits they’d pulled from the wreckage, including cups and plates, and so I can personally attest to the fact that the sandblasting effect is remarkably similar to a cup that really has spent years beneath the sea.  

This is the Medusa Lex battles:

 This is the whiskerfish that Lex . . . ah, well, perhaps I’d better not say as I don’t want to give key plot points away, but take it from me that this strange little fish is very important to Lex indeed.

Inside the cup is a magic hat and wand. Magic hats are very important in this book, and lead to all sorts of trouble:

And in the top right hand corner below is the gigantic sand castle in the sky where the first round of the Game takes place:

So there it is – my fabulous Lex Trent book cup, which I will no doubt spend many happy hours staring at, especially when in need of inspiration. If that doesn’t make you want to buy the book, I don’t know what will. As I said, it’s available from Amazon right now so there is no need to wait any longer, peoples! Flying ships, medusas, floating sandcastles, magic hats, whiskerfish and much, much more (crones, enchanters, duckigs, space ladders, nasal lice – the list is endless) can all be yours when you buy Lex Trent!

Just a quick post to say that it has recently been brought to my attention that the email account attached to this website was not working. This means that if you’ve emailed me using the contact form after 1^st October then I have not received it, and I’m very sorry if it looked like I was ignoring your email. The problem now seems to have been fixed. For future reference, I will always reply to reader emails within one day of reading them, and I check this account most days. If you email me and you don’t get a response within a week then that means I am:

a)      On holiday and unable to access the internet.

b)       Experiencing technical difficulties.

c)       Dead.

I love getting emails from readers saying they’ve enjoyed the books (what author doesn’t?) and unless I ever metamorphose into one of those indecently successful, ridiculously rich authors (who the rest of us all secretly loathe) and receive hundreds of emails a day, I will always reply to anyone who writes to me (unless you’re a casino wanting advertising space on my site, in which case I may not bother.)