Royal Rumble
High school comedies are a dime a dozen in Hollywood, but a tale involving ' 'dead people, naked people, fake people, teen sex, weird sex, drugs, ESP, Satanism, books, blood, bubble gum, guitars, monks, faith, love" and more? Bring it on! After receiving a number of favorable reviews, King Dork, Frank Portman's debut novel, out this month from Delacorte Books for Young Readers, is currently generating buzz among a number of film producers eager to snap up the title. The story of 14-year-old Tom Henderson, disaffected Hillmont High School student, and his quest to discover the truth behind his dad's mysterious death, Portman's satire/mystery is a shoo-in for the Veronica Mars crowd. Portman is repped by Steve Malk at Writers House for lit and ICM's Josie Freedman is handling film rights.
My Mom, the Hero
Birdie Lee, the single mother heroine of Melanie Lynne Hauser's Confessions of Super Mom (Dutton, 2005), can't scale walls or leap over skyscrapers, but she can sure wield a mean Brillo pad. After a "Horrible Swiffer Accident" involving a strong brew of cleaning products that accidentally knocks out the grocery store cashier and mother-of-two-teens, she awakens to find that she's gained über-scrubbing talents—not to mention an acute ability to detect underage drinking, improper car-seat usage and other domestic emergencies. Obviously bowled over by Birdie's penchant for cleansers and crime fighting is producer Ken Atchity (Life or Something Like It), who recently optioned the rights to Hauser's novel in a potential six-figure deal. Who needs spandex when you've got Pine-Sol? Brandt & Hochman's Bill Contardi negotiated on behalf of Laura Langlie, who reps Hauser for lit.
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