Coverage of books to movies, deals and development.
Page to Screen: A Lauded YA Backlister and Amazon Breakthrough Winner By Rachel Deahl - 10/07/2009
This week in Page to Screen—PW's column tracking film rights circulating and sold in Hollywood—a Brokeback Mountain producer nabs a YA backlister, and an Amazon Breakthrough Novel winner gets looks in Hollywood.
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Licensing Hotline: October 1 By Karen Raugust - 10/01/2009
David Biedrzycki's Ace Lacewing: Bug Detective is ready to generate buzz through a new representation deal between Charlesbridge and The ThinkTank Emporium, marking the first time Charlesbridge has signed with an outside agent to develop one of its book franchises. See more licensing stories, including news of Golden’s Iron Man: Armored Adventures titles, and Parragon teaming with MGA Entertainment on a new doll line for tween girls.More
Movie Alert: Where the Wild Things Are By John A. Sellers - 10/01/2009
One of the most anticipated movies of 2009—Spike Jonze’s adaptation of Maurice Sendak’s beloved picture book Where the Wild Things Are—is finally approaching its release date, after a long and tumultuous road to production. With a screenplay co-written by Jonze and author Dave Eggers, the film arrives in theaters October 16; plans to bring Sendak’s picture book to the big screen have been underway for more than a decade.
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Licensing Hotline: August 20 By Karen Raugust - 08/20/2009
Scholastic has acquired the license for Angel Cat Sugar, a Japanese property from the mind of Hello Kitty creator Yuko Shimizu. Two books for girls 4–8 will launch in the school market this fall, followed by two more in the trade starting in January 2010. See more licensing stories, including news of a new Nickelodeon series, Richard Scarry’s Busytown characters on TV, and a new Angelina Ballerina show on PBS.More
Chronicle Has the Lock on Top Chef Books By Lynn Andriani - 08/17/2009
The Emmy and James Beard Award-winning series Top Chef is the jewel in Bravo’s crown, so it isn’t surprising that the network has developed a range of branded products based on the show. There are Top Chef-themed flower arrangements, Top Chef branded wines and Top Chef knives. Chronicle Books is the lucky winner of the exclusive publishing contract, and it has been a boon to the San Francisco independent.
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Page to Screen: Smith-Ready's YA Series and an L.A. Teen's Debut By Rachel Deahl - 08/13/2009
This week in Page to Screen—PW's weekly column tracking film rights circulating and sold in Hollywood—Curtis Brown moves on Jeri Smith-Ready book, and Gotham shops an L.A.-teen-turned-Harvard-undergrad's novel.
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Movie Alert: 'Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs' By John A. Sellers - 08/13/2009
Based on Judi and Ron Barrett’s picture book of the same name, an animated film adaptation of 'Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs' hits theaters September 18. The story is set in the town of Chewandswallow (renamed Swallow Falls in the film), which is plagued by food and beverages that rain down from the sky on a daily basis. The film features the voices of Anna Faris and Bill Hader in the lead roles of weathergirl Sam Sparks and luckless inventor Flint Lockwood.
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