Profitable "Stealing"
If you had any doubts that reading PW could be both fun and profitable, the story behind Russell S. Bonds's Stealing the General (Westholme, Oct.) should erase them. Film agent Jody Hotchkiss of Hotchkiss & Associates first stumbled across Bonds's nonfiction account of one of the more bizarre events of the Civil War—a plot to steal a locomotive by a Kentucky Unionist and a crew of loyalists—in an August 21 feature in these very pages. He contacted Bruce Franklin, founder of tiny Yardley, Pa.—based Westholme about film rights and discovered that on the recommendation of another Westholme author, Bonds had submitted his manuscript exclusively to Franklin. Confident the book—already a Military Book Club, History Book Club and BOMC selection—would generate positive reviews, Hotchkiss hibernated until accolades from pubs such as the New Yorker and Wall Street Journal starting rolling in. The strategy seems to have paid off. Hotchkiss is reportedly in serious discussions with several studios and has at least one offer on the table.
Foer & Grisham
Two titles from columns past clinched high-profile film deals this month. Paramount has optioned Joshua Foer's Moonwalking with Einstein for Mike White's Rip Cord Productions (Hollywood Reader, Nov. 6) and they are already targeting a shortlist of screenwriters. They may not have to look far: White is said to be strongly considering taking on scribe duties himself—a seemingly perfect fit for the master of both the quirky (The Good Girl) and the commercial (School of Rock). UTA's Howie Sanders negotiated.... John Grisham finds a Hollywood friend in leading political lefty George Clooney, who has optioned The Innocent Man (Doubleday, Oct.), Grisham's anti—death penalty true life tale (Hollywood Reader, Mar. 21, 2005). The book is the first buy for Smoke House, Clooney's new Warner-based production company. David Gernert reps Grisham.
Clarification
Our November 16 coverage of Alex Williams's The Talent Thief omitted 21 Laps Entertainment president Tom McNulty's role in assembling the creative elements involved in the project. McNulty will produce the project with director and 29 Palms partner Shawn Levy. HR regrets the oversight.
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