Post by Twyrch on Jan 18, 2010 18:12:19 GMT -5
NEWS: RANGER'S APPRENTICE FILM RIGHTS SELL
Random House
Film rights in Random House’s bestselling children’s series Ranger’s Apprentice by Australian author John Flanagan have been optioned to United Artists Films, for Paul Haggis to adapt and direct a series of films, in a major deal, for seven figures.
Paul Haggis is an Academy Award-winning director and producer. He directed the Oscar-winning movie Crash and was responsible for the screenplays for Million Dollar Baby, Letters from Iwo Jima and Flags of our Fathers, and he also created TV shows such as Due South and Walker,Texas Ranger.
Author John Flanagan says, ‘It's just so overwhelming to see that the Ranger’s series is set to head off in yet another exciting direction. When I think how this all started as a series of twenty short stories written for my son Michael, it sets my head spinning to think there's the distinct possibility that it will now be translated into movies and seen by millions of people around the world.’ The seventh instalment in the series, Erak’s Ransom, was released in Australia in November and has already sold over 10 000 copies and reached Number Two on the Australian children’s charts.
Sales for this series have gone from strength to strength with each new book expanding its fan base with both adults and children getting addicted to the stories. Ranger’s Apprentice is poised to become the next series that will jump from the page onto the big screen following the success of Eragon, Harry Potter and The Golden Compass.
Worldwide book sales of the series have exceeded 700 000 and foreign rights have been sold to 16 countries including North America, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Denmark and Sweden.
This year, the series also featured on the New York Times bestseller list for children’s series for 11 weeks reaching Number Three just behind Harry Potter. John, a former television and advertising writer, lives with his wife, Leonie, in the Sydney beachside suburb of Manly. He is currently writing further titles in the Ranger’s Apprentice series
Random House
Film rights in Random House’s bestselling children’s series Ranger’s Apprentice by Australian author John Flanagan have been optioned to United Artists Films, for Paul Haggis to adapt and direct a series of films, in a major deal, for seven figures.
Paul Haggis is an Academy Award-winning director and producer. He directed the Oscar-winning movie Crash and was responsible for the screenplays for Million Dollar Baby, Letters from Iwo Jima and Flags of our Fathers, and he also created TV shows such as Due South and Walker,Texas Ranger.
Author John Flanagan says, ‘It's just so overwhelming to see that the Ranger’s series is set to head off in yet another exciting direction. When I think how this all started as a series of twenty short stories written for my son Michael, it sets my head spinning to think there's the distinct possibility that it will now be translated into movies and seen by millions of people around the world.’ The seventh instalment in the series, Erak’s Ransom, was released in Australia in November and has already sold over 10 000 copies and reached Number Two on the Australian children’s charts.
Sales for this series have gone from strength to strength with each new book expanding its fan base with both adults and children getting addicted to the stories. Ranger’s Apprentice is poised to become the next series that will jump from the page onto the big screen following the success of Eragon, Harry Potter and The Golden Compass.
Worldwide book sales of the series have exceeded 700 000 and foreign rights have been sold to 16 countries including North America, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Denmark and Sweden.
This year, the series also featured on the New York Times bestseller list for children’s series for 11 weeks reaching Number Three just behind Harry Potter. John, a former television and advertising writer, lives with his wife, Leonie, in the Sydney beachside suburb of Manly. He is currently writing further titles in the Ranger’s Apprentice series
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