Ninth Circle Film News
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.
Tags: Jedward, Ninth Circle
March 1st, 2010 at 12:32 pm
Fantastic news!! Congratulations, you must be utterly ecstatic!!!
March 1st, 2010 at 5:27 pm
Fab fab fab, at last I can talk and boast about it and be that person that is a very boring proud mother!
March 1st, 2010 at 5:40 pm
Thanks, Michaela. I am, indeed, very happy about it!
Mum - I think, by now, people expect you to be a boring proud mother
Hope you’re having much fun in Istanbul!
March 1st, 2010 at 6:03 pm
That’s brilliant! Well done!
March 1st, 2010 at 6:18 pm
WOOT!!!! Brilliant news!!! Don’t forget to ask us all to the premiere!!
March 1st, 2010 at 7:11 pm
Congratulations Alex, I’m SO proud of you xxx
March 1st, 2010 at 7:29 pm
Congratulations Alex, Great News! xxx
March 1st, 2010 at 7:38 pm
Thanks, all!
Just a clarification for those not familiar with the lingo (and I should probably have put this in the post itself) but an option does not mean that there will be a film in the cinemas, say, next month (lovely as that would be), but rather it is the first step in the process of turning a book into a film. Much hard work and good luck is required in the interim. But fingers crossed, eh?
March 1st, 2010 at 9:15 pm
You really had me going with that Jedward thing! I was hoping you were kidding-but really worried you weren’t. ha, ha. Nice one any way!
March 1st, 2010 at 10:26 pm
As I said on Twitter: “Woo! Congratulations!”
As you say it’s a long road from here to a finished and distributed movie, but it’s nice to be that road.
I’m so happy for you I’m bouncing up and down on my chair!
- Neil.
March 1st, 2010 at 11:37 pm
Shaari - oh, I may have been kidding about Lex being optioned for film (more’s the pity) but I really *do* think the twins look a hell of a lot like him! I’m not ashamed to say that I love Jedward! Love ‘em! I might even get me one of those t-shirts that says so!
Neil - thanks! I’m bouncing up and down in my chair a bit too, but sometimes I just do that for the heck of it, or to confuse the Siamese
March 2nd, 2010 at 8:00 am
Congratulations, although, yes, indeed, an option on a creative work, in general does not necessarily imply that there will be a film in the near future. It does mean that a producer (or a studio) sees enough potential in the story to be worth paying a certain amount to prevent others from getting their hands on it while they decide whether to move ahead with the project.
The next stages will be for the producer(s) to actually pitch the project to the guys with the money (i.e. the studio executives). If they get some go ahead and some indication of funding being available, then the producer(s) can secure the services of everyone else necessary to make the film: the scriptwriters to take this novel and make it work as a film (and very often this will entail serious re-writing since what works in print is not necessarily going to translate well to the screen), directors, casting agents, etc.
It could take a long time. I hear that even though Neil Gaiman’s Sandman has been optioned for a while, no one yet has the gumption to try and turn that into a film. (And I pity the fine gentlemen who try, because it is a herculean task.)
All the best wishes to you, and the team at Reelart, in trying to get this from page to silver screen.
March 2nd, 2010 at 9:53 am
Missed opportunity! The Jedward thing will have been better posted on April 1st
March 2nd, 2010 at 7:04 pm
Kwok Ting Lee - It is, indeed, a much more complex process than having a book published. I did not understand it myself until my agent patiently explained it all to me in step-by-step, easy-to-understand terms. Now I forget that everyone else doesn’t also know what an option means!
Adam - you are so right. The opportunity was right there, and I wasted it.
March 3rd, 2010 at 11:50 am
this is such good news, all the best xx
March 4th, 2010 at 5:16 pm
Thanks, Joanne
May 9th, 2010 at 12:18 am
Hey visit jedward.net for some great forums and news or just type jedward into google its on the first page. Pretty awesome website.