Horns by Joe Hill

HOLLYWOOD REPORTER: Daniel Radcliffe to Star in Fantasy-Thriller 'Horns'

"Horns," directed by Alexandre Aja, is based on the best-selling cult novel by Joe Hill, who will be at Comic-Con this weekend.

Continuing his genre spree, Daniel Radcliffe is set to star in Alexandre Aja's supernatural fantasy-thriller Horns for Red Granite Pictures and Mandalay Pictures.

Earlier this year, the Harry Potter star's The Woman in Blackturned into a sleeper hit at the box office, grossing north of $127 million worldwide.

Horns is based on Joe Hill's best-selling novel. Aja will direct from an adapted screenplay by Keith Bunin.

Radcliffe will play Ig Perrish, the lead suspect in the violent rape and killing of his girlfriend. Hung over from a night of hard drinking, Ig awakens one morning to find horns starting to grow from his head. Their power drives people to confess sins and give in to selfish impulses -- an effective tool in his quest to discover the circumstances of his girlfriend's death and for exacting revenge.

Hill's rock 'n' roll-infused dark fantasy explores why bad things happen to good people and what the loss of true love can do to a man. The book was on The New York Times best-seller list for six weeks and has become an international best-seller as well.

"After reading Joe Hill's cult book, I couldn't resist temptation to dive into the devilish underworld and reinvent a universal myth," Aja said. "Horns is a wild ride of sin and crime, with a love story in its heart."

Riza Aziz and Joey McFarland's Red Granite will finance Horns and co-produce with Mandalay. Producers are Aziz, McFarland, Mandalay Pictures president Cathy Schulman and Adam Stone. Hill will executive produce with Red Granite's Joe Gatta.

Additional casting is underway, with principal photography set to begin this fall. Red Granite Pictures' international sales arm will handle foreign sales for the film.

Red Granite is the production and financing company behind Martin Scorsese's next film The Wolf of Wall Street starring Leonardo DiCaprio.

Here If You Need Me by Kate Braestrup

VARIETY: CBS in 'Need' of memoir

Carol Mendelsohn Prods. to develop pic

By RACHEL ABRAMS

CBS TV Studios has optioned Kate Braestrup's memoir "Here If You Need Me" for Carol Mendelsohn Prods. to develop.

Book revolves around how Braestrup coped with the sudden loss of her husband, an aspiring minister who died in a car accident. In the aftermath, Braestrup decided she would follow in his footsteps and became a chaplain for the Maine Warden Service, which conducts search and rescue misions in the state. In that role, the author began comforting families also coping with loss. She is also author of "Beginner's Grace," a non-religious guide to prayer.

Little, Brown and Co. published "Here" in 2007. Deal was made by Brick House Literary Agents and Hotchkiss & Associates.

Mendelsohn is exec producer of the Eye's "CSI" mothership. Her banner is based at CBS TV Studios.

Cedar Cove by Debbie Macomber

HOLLYWOOD REPORTER: Hallmark Channel Launching First Scripted Series (Exclusive)

Andie MacDowell will film "Cedar Cove," a two-hour TV movie that will serve as a backdoor pilot for the drama, after finishing the first season of ABC Family's "Jane by Design."

Hallmark Channel is throwing its hat in the scripted series arena. The Crown Media-owned cable network has set Cedar Cove, a two-hour telefilm based on the book by Debbie Macomber that will serve as a backdoor pilot for the series.

Andie MacDowell will star as a small-town family court judge in the pic, which will premiere in late 2012, with the series launching early next year, The Hollywood Reporter has learned exclusively.

The pic marks the fourth of Macomber's romance novels to get the Hallmark treatment following Mrs. Miracle, Call Me Mrs. Miracle and Trading Christmas; they went on to become the network's most-watched movies of the year in 2009, 2010 and 2011, respectively.

"Andie is widely recognized around the world as a gifted actor and a top box-office draw, and there is genuine, mutual excitement today between the network and our star about the new series," Hallmark exec vp programming Michelle Vicary said.

Bruce Graham, who adapted Trading Christmas, will pen the telepic, which hails from Orchard Road Productions. Dan Wigutow, who exec produced all three of Macomber's Hallmark specials, will return to executive produce alongside Caroline Moore, Harvey Kahn, Michael Scott and Allen Lewis. Scott will direct the telepic. A showrunner has not been determined.

Production on the telepic starts in early June. MacDowell will film it after ABC Family'sJane by Design, which is wrapping production on the second half of its first season.

MacDowell is repped by Paradigm, the Schiff Co. and Greenberg Glusker.

Worth pointing out, the Hallmark series comes months after Lifetime adapted its ratings hit telepic The Client List into a drama starring Jennifer Love Hewitt, which has already been renewed for a second season.

The Last Ship by William Brinkley

VARIETY: TNT orders pilot for 'The Last Ship'

Action-adventure comes from exec producer Michael Bay

By STUART LEVINE

TNT has gone forward and ordered the pilot of Michael Bay's action-adventure drama "The Last Ship."

Project, about a global catastrophe where those aboard a naval destroyer are the only survivors, is based on the William Brinkley novel.

Script comes from "Without a Trace" vet Hank Steinberg and Steven Kane, who exec produce with Bay and Platinum Dunes partners Brad Fuller and Andrew Form.

Cabler is having a solid summer. Net just gave a third-season renewal for "Falling Skies" and freshman skein "Dallas" drew 6.9 million for its June 13 debut episode. "Rizzoli & Isles" captured 7.1 million viewers when it debuted June 5 in its new Tuesday timeslot.

Last week Eric McCormack-starrer "Perception" opened to 5.6 million and "The Closer" began its final season with 6.1 million.

However, several of their shows are drawing large numbers in the 25-54 demo, with less in the more ad-desirable 18-49 demo.

Television rights to William Brinkley's THE LAST SHIP, the action/adventure story of the crew of a naval destroyer that is forced to confront the reality of a new existence when a pandemic decimates most of the earth's population, to TNT, with Michael Bay's Platinum Dunes producing, by Hotchkiss and Associates on behalf of Sterling Lord at Sterling Lord Literistic.

Flavia de Luce mystery series by Alan Bradley

TV rights to Alan Bradley's NYT bestselling Flavia de Luce mysteries (The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag, A Red Herring without Mustard, I'm Half-Sick of Shadows), optioned to American Beauty and Revolution Road director Sam Mendes' Neal Street Productions, by Jody Hotchkiss, on behalf of Denise Bukowski at The Bukowski Agency.

VARIETY: Brits savor 'Flavia'

Sam Mendes on TV case for youth sleuth

By DIANA LODDERHOSE

Sam Mendes' shingle Neal Street Prods. has optioned rights to Alan Bradley's New York Times bestselling mystery series "Flavia de Luce" to develop as a television series.

Story, set in a rural village in post-WWII Blighty, follows the adventures of a precocious 11-year-old sleuth named Flavia.

The young girl, a science enthusiast with a particular passion for poison, lives on a family estate with two sinister older sisters and an eccentric widowed father and uses her encyclopedic knowledge to solve murders.

Bradley's series has been sold to publishers in 35 countries and been translated into 31 languages. It has snagged a slew of publishing awards including the Crime Writers' Assn. Debut Dagger Award and the Dilys Award.

TV series will be exec produced by Neal Street's Pippa Harris and Mendes and co-produced by Julie Blumenthal and Wonderful Films' William Horberg.

Neal Street has already had success this year with TV series "Call the Midwife," toplining Jessica Raine, Miranda Hart and Vanessa Redgrave. Series, set in 1950s East End London, became the highest-rated drama series for the BBC since 2001.

"After the success of 'Call the Midwife' we were keen to find another high-quality book series to adapt and luckily discovered Alan Bradley's 'Flavia de Luce' books," said Mendes. "I have always been a fan of the classic British mystery detective genre and 'Flavia de Luce' is a fresh and captivating take on it."

Harris added that the adventures were "rich with multi-layered mysteries, memorable supporting characters and a cinematic period backdrop."

Deal was made on behalf of the Bulkowski Agency by Hotchkiss and Associates.

Neal Street, which was formed in 2003 with Mendes, Harris and Caro Newlin, has produced pics such as "Revolutionary Road" and "Starter for Ten," TV productions such as "Stuart: A Life Backwards" and theater hits such as "Shrek: The Musical" and upcoming production of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory."

Defending Jacob by William Landay

VARIETY: WB summons Kloves for 'Defending Jacob'

'Potter' scribe in talks to direct legal thriller; Parent producing

By RACHEL ABRAMS

Warner Bros. is in talks with "Harry Potter" scribe Steve Kloves to write and direct "Defending Jacob," an adaptation of William Landay's legal thriller.

Mary Parent will produce through her Disruption Entertainment banner.

Set in a wealthy Boston suburb, novel follows a district attorney who must leave his day job to defend his son from a murder charge while uncertain of his son's innocence.

Landay's tome has so far spent five months on the New York Times bestseller list and has been compared to novels "Presumed Innocent" and "Ordinary People." Publishing rights for "Jacob" have sold in 17 countries.

Paramount-based Disruption, which Parent set up last year, has ramped up business with projects including Guillermo del Toro's robots-vs.-monsters actioner "Pacific Rim" and New Line's "The Watching Hour."

Kloves wrote seven of the eight "Harry Potter" pics, and he worked on the script for "Akira," as well as Sony's "The Amazing Spider-Man." He previously helmed "The Fabulous Baker Boys" and "Flesh and Bone."

Lynn Harris will oversee "Jacob" for the studio, which is also in talks with Kloves to write, direct and produce WB's live-action take on "The Jungle Book." While deals are not yet signed, sources say "Jacob" would come first for the multihyphenate.

CAA reps Kloves, while the Martell Agency and Hotchkiss and Associates represented dramatic rights to the book.

Deadline Hollywood Daily

Warner Bros Buys Novel 'Defending Jacob'

Warner Bros has acquired screen rights to the William Landay suspense novel Defending Jacob for Mary Parent to produce through her Disruption banner. The novel involves a district attorney in Boston whose son is accused of killing a classmate. As he tries to clear his boy, the DA discovers many things about his son that he didn't know, including the possibility the 14-year old might actually have done it. Alice Martell of The Martell Agency and Jody Hotchkiss of Hotchkiss and Associated brokered the deal.

The Brotherhoods by Guy Lawson and Bill Oldham

Film Rights to Det. Bill Oldham and Guy Lawson's THE BROTHERHOODS, about Oldham's twenty-year investigation tracking down NYPD cops Stephen Caracappa and Louis Eppolito who became hit-men for the Mob, to Warner Bros. with Dan Lin (SHERLOCK HOLMES, THE GANGSTER SQUAD) producing, by Hotchkiss and Associates, on behalf of Salisbury Literary Agency.

VARIETY: Warners nabs 'Brotherhoods' for Dan Lin

Cops and mobsters drama based true-crime tome

By DAVE MCNARY, RACHEL ABRAMS

Warner Bros. has acquired feature rights to "The Brotherhoods: The True Story of Two Cops Who Murdered for the Mafia" and set it up with Warner-based producer Dan Lin.

Studio has tapped Bill Dubuque to adapt the book based on the investigation of former New York City cops. After a turncoat underworld boss fingered officers Stephen Caracappa and Louis Eppolito as mob employees, William Oldham (a cop who worked alongside Caracappa and wrote the book with Guy Lawson) became a special investigator for the U.S. Attorney's Brooklyn office after the NYPD decided not to investigate.

The office eventually found enough evidence to arrest the pair. In 2006, they were convicted of labor racketeering, extortion, narcotics, illegal gambling, obstruction of justice, eight counts of murder and conspiracy to commit murder and sentenced to life in federal prison.

Mark Bauch at Lin Pictures brought in the book and is co-producer.

Studio is developing the project as a cop action thriller in the vein of "The Departed," which Lin oversaw as a studio exec. He is in post-production for Warners on "Gangster Squad," directed by Ruben Fleischer and starring Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling and Sean Penn.

Dubuque is currently writing "The Judge" at Warner Bros. with Robert Downey Jr. attached to star. He previously wrote "The Accountant," which landed on the 2011 Black List.

Courtenay Valenti and Chris Gary are overseeing "The Brotherhoods" for Warner Bros.

Dick Wolf and NBCUniversal originally optioned "Brotherhoods" in 2007. At that point, three other projects based on Caracappa and Eppolito were in the works for Spring Creek, Mandalay and Columbia.

Hotchkiss and Associates negotiated the deal along with Salisbury Literary Agency on behalf of Lawson and Oldham. Paradigm and Zero Gravity rep Dubuque.

The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom by Christopher Healy

Film Rights to Christopher Healy's THE HERO'S GUIDE TO SAVING YOUR KINGDOM, the first in a series set in a world where Prince Charming is not one prince but four, all of whom have serious issues with heroism and complicated relationships with their princesses Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, and Rapunzel, to Twentieth Century Fox Animation (ICE AGE, RIO) with Chernin Entertainment producing, by Sean Daily at Hotchkiss and Associates on behalf of Cheryl Pientka at Jill Grinberg Literary Management.

HOLLYWOOD REPORTER: Fox Animation Picks Up Children's Book 'Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom' (Exclusive)

Chernin Entertainment, which was behind "Rise of the Planet of the Apes," is producing.

Fox Animation has acquired the movie rights to children's book The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom by first-time author Christopher Healy.

Chernin Entertainment, which produced Rise of the Planet of the Apes, is attached to produce.

The book, which hits shelves May 1, tells the story of the four princes from the classic fairy tales who saved Cinderella, Snow White, Rapunzel and Sleeping Beauty.

In the tome, the princes' due is glossed over by various minstrels, but the four young men -- cast out of their respective castles -- get a shot at redemption and glory when they uncover a plot that could destroy the kingdoms.

The 432-page novel from Walden Pond Press/HarperCollins Children's Books, is the first from Healy, who was a children's entertainment reviewer as well as a haunted house zombie actor before writing Saving Your Kingdom.

Healy is repped by Hotchkiss and Associates and Jill Grinberg Literary Management.

Down a Dark Hall by Lois Duncan

VARIETY: Stephenie Meyer options tome 'Dark Hall'

'Twilight' producer Wyck Godfrey also in talks to produce

By RACHEL ABRAMS

"Twilight" scribe Stephenie Meyer and Meghan Hibbett's Fickle Fish Films have optioned young-adult suspense tome "Down a Dark Hall" by novelist Lois Duncan and will produce a feature-film adaptation.

Duncan's 1974 novel revolves around Blackwood boarding school and its mysterious students. Ensnared in the chilling world is new student Kit Gordy, who must unravel Blackwood's haunted and tragic history before it's too late. "Twilight" producer Wyck Godfrey is also in talks to produce.

Meyer has taken on more film fare since her books became a global publishing and feature-film phenomenon. She recently produced and financed the Jerusha Hess-helmed "Austenland," a romantic comedy about a woman who travels to a Jane Austen theme park to find her perfect man. That pic, starring Keri Russell and Jane Seymour, is in post-production but is not yet slated for release.

Duncan has penned a number of novels that have made their way to the bigscreen, including "Hotel for Dogs" and "I Know What You Did Last Summer."

Myman Abel Fineman Fox Greenspan Light reps Meyer. Deal for Duncan was made on behalf of Sterling Lord Literistic by Hotchkiss and Associates.

The Madonnas Of Echo Park by Brando Skyhorse

Deadline: HBO Adapting Novel 'The Madonnas Of Echo Park' Into Drama Series

EXCLUSIVE: HBO has put in development a drama series project based on the novel The Madonnas Of Echo Park by Brando Skyhorse. The project, to be written by award-winning playwright Julia Cho, takes a look at the lives of a community in a rapidly gentrifying neighborhood in Los Angeles. It explores the relationships -- romantic, professional, familial -- of the Latinos that have built the community over the years, and the hipsters who're making their way in now, examining the complicated dynamic between the two as they struggle to build new lives for themselves in pursuit of the American dream. Kapital Entertainment's Aaron Kaplan and British writer Kelly Marcel are executive producing, reuniting after their first collaboration on Terra Nova, which the two executive produced. Terra Nova originated with a 15-page treatment by Marcel, which Kaplan brought to the U.S. For Cho, who will serve as co-executive producer, this marks a return to HBO, where she worked on Big Love. Her TV credits also include a stint on Fringe. She is with WME, Skyhorse is with Jody Hotchkiss.

At HBO, The Madonnas of Echo Park joins another Kapital-produced project, comedy pilot Viagra Diaries, created by Sex And The City's Darren Star and to be directed by Bridesmaids' Paul Feig. Additionally, Kaplan has several other cable projects in development.

At USA, he has the hourlong Finders Keepers. Written by Philip Levens, it is about a former FBI agent and missing persons specialist who finds people by immersing himself in their lives. Levens is with ICM.

At A&E, Kapital Entertainment is developing Dark Heart, a one-hour procedural written by Steven Long Mitchell and Craig Van Sickle (Paradigm), about a benevolent cop who, after having a massive heart attack, gets the heart of a psychopath. Lionsgate TV is producing.

At Lifetime, the company is behind Drink, a one-hour spec script written by Glenn Porter (UTA), which follows the life of the head of HR at a global alcohol and beverage company who, after suffering a head injury, loses her inhibitions and ability to control her impulse and ends up transforming her company into a hotbed of decadence, soaring profits and ambition.

At Nickelodeon, where Kaplan executive produces the Nick At Nite pilot Wendell & Vinnie starring Jerry Trainor, he has two multi-camera comedy projects in development. One is a comedy about a college student who becomes a "manny" for a family who had been transplanted from England. It is written by Howard Busgang and Tom Nursall (CAA), creators of the NBC comedy pilot Isabel, which Kaplan executive produces. The other is a twins project from Barry Safchik and Michael Platt (Verve). In the vein of Weird Science, it centers on a genius kid who creates a robot in his likeness - yet the two could not be more different.

Kapital's first cable series, The Inbetweeners, launches on MTV later this year. On the broadcast side, Kaplan hasexecutive produced produced two series, Terra Nova and ABC's GCB, and has four pilot currently in contention.

Kiss & Make Up by Katie D. Anderson

Deadline Hollywood Daily: Warner Premiere Options Digital Series Rights For Novel 'Kiss & Make Up'

New York, NY- Amazon Children's Publishing today announced it plans to publish "Kiss & Make Up," the first young adult novel by Oxford, Mississippi author Katie D. Anderson, in October 2012. Associate Publisher Tim Ditlow acquired World English and audio rights to the book from Cheryl Pientka at Jill Grinberg Literary Management.

"Kiss & Make Up" is a magical romantic comedy starring 16-year-old lip gloss addict and unlikely clairvoyant Emerson Taylor, who discovers during her first kiss that she is able to get glimpses of a guy's past when his lips meet hers. She quickly learns how to use her gift to steal secrets, memories, and even test answers from unsuspecting brainy boys. But when a school competition and a secret crush force her to forego her gift and study the old-fashioned way, Emerson risks losing her newfound reputation among the academic elite-and the guy she loves. Set against the glam backdrop of her aunt's top-selling cosmetics business, Emerson's story reveals how she "makes over" her previously selfish ways and finds that true beauty always wins out in the end.

"As the mother of two young girls, my goal is to create books that promote a positive message for young adults. If I can achieve that with a killer hook like a kiss that can read minds, well then, that's all the better," says Anderson.

Warner Premiere won the rights for a live-action digital series based on the novel which is currently in development. Dan Romanelli, an entertainment and consumer products executive, in association with Norm Marshall & Associates, is exploring potential cosmetic partnerships with several major international brands. Sean Daily of Hotchkiss & Associates handled the deal with Warner Premiere.

"We're excited to see so much enthusiasm for Katie's message of empowerment and self-confidence," says Ditlow. "The project has great potential to effectively speak to young readers through a number of different platforms."

Defending Jacob by William Landay

Deadline Hollywood Daily: Warner Bros Buys Novel 'Defending Jacob'

Warner Bros has acquired screen rights to the William Landay suspense novel Defending Jacob for Mary Parent to produce through her Disruption banner. The novel involves a district attorney in Boston whose son is accused of killing a classmate. As he tries to clear his boy, the DA discovers many things about his son that he didn't know, including the possibility the 14-year old might actually have done it. Alice Martell of The Martell Agency and Jody Hotchkiss of Hotchkiss and Associated brokered the deal.

Fancy Nancy by Jane O'Connor and illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser

VARIETY: Fox, Shawn Levy fancy 'Fancy Nancy'

21 Laps will develop the Jane O'Connor series

By DAVE MCNARY

Fox is going young with "Fancy Nancy," acquiring rights to the children's book series and setting it with studio-based Shawn Levy at his 21 Laps banner.

Fancy Nancy, a young girl who loves dressing up extravagantly in feather boas, ruby slippers and tutus, debuted in 2005. "The Fancy Nancy" series -- written by Jane O'Connor and illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser -- has resulted in 50 titles published by HarperCollins with over 17 million books sold.

The "Nancy" series should be familiar to Levy, who has four daughters. He produced and directed DreamWorks' "Real Steel" and is producing Fox's comedy "Neighborhood Watch," starring Ben Stiller and opening July 27. He's also been attached to produce "The Fight Before Christmas" for Fox.

Hotchkiss and Associates represented HarperCollins in the deal.

Those Across the River by Christopher Buehlman

Film rights to Christopher Buehlman's THOSE ACROSS THE RIVER, about a small town during the depression, to Mike Medavoy (SHUTTER ISLAND, BLACK SWAN) with Weed Road (I AM LEGEND) producing and Kip Williams (THE DOOR IN THE FLOOR, PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 2) writing and directing, by Sean Daily at Hotchkiss and Associates, on behalf of Stephanie Lehmann at Elaine Koster Agency and Michelle Brower at Folio Literary Management.

DEADLINE HOLLYWOOD DAILY: 'Paranormal Activity 2′ Helmer Kip Williams Aligns With 'Those Across The River'

By MIKE FLEMING

EXCLUSIVE: Mike Medavoy, Douglas McKay and Ali Toukan have optioned the Christopher Buehlman literary horror novelThose Across The River. The trio is producing with Akiva Goldsman's Weed Road, and Tod "Kip" Williams is attached to write the script and direct the film. The book takes place in a small Southern town in Georgia in 1935. A WWI veteran moves there with his new wife after they inherit a home passed down through his family. He intends to write a book about his grandfather, an evil plantation owner, but soon realizes that there are some crazy things going on, including residents that are being killed and eaten. It's the Depression, and the horror begins after the town abandons a practice of sending two pigs each month across the river, though they've never figured exactly what happened to those animals. Williams most recently directed Paranormal Activity 2. The deal was made by Hotchkiss and Associates' Sean Daily for Folio Literary Management and Elaine Koster Agency. Williams is repped by UTA and 3 Arts.

The Pregnancy Project by Gaby Rodriguez and Jenna Glatzer

TV rights to Gaby Rodriguez's PREGNANT LIKE ME, based on the WA state high school honor student who conducted a social experiment about teen pregnancy and stereotypes, optioned to Lifetime for a television movie, by Jody Hotchkiss and Associates on behalf of Martin Literary Management.

House of Night by PC Cast and Kristin Cast

VARIETY: Davis Films bites for 'Night'

Vampire book series eyed for bigscreen franchise

By ANDREW STEWART

Davis Films, the company behind the "Resident Evil" franchise, has bought feature rights to mother-daughter authors P.C. and Kristin Cast's young-adult vampire series "House of Night."

Acquired as another potential franchise for Davis Films, "House of Night" centers on a 16-year-old girl named Zoey Redbird, who's sent to a special boarding school after learning she is genetically earmarked to become a "vampyre" in adolescence, or killed in the process.

The series has sold more than 12 million copies in the U.S. and has been on the New York Times bestseller list for a record 140 weeks, with versions in a total 39 countries. Series' ninth installment, "Destined," hit bookshelves on Oct. 25.

Davis Films topper Samuel Hadida credited the Cast writing duo for penning a series with worldwide appeal.

"They have created a world of adolescent growth against a backdrop of supernatural suspense that resonates around the world with young readers immersed in 'Twilight' and 'Harry Potter,'" Hadida said. "We see with 'House of Night' the same franchise potential."

Deal was negotiated by Sean Daily at Hotchkiss and Associates and Meredith Bernstein on behalf of the authors.

April Woo books by Leslie Glass

TV Rights to Leslie Glass's series of APRIL WOO books, covering 9 novels published over 12 years, about the Chinese-American police officer who becomes the first female head of detectives in Coney Island, to CBS with Apostle (RESCUE ME) producing and Amy Bloom (STATE OF MIND) writing, by Sean Daily at Hotchkiss and Associates.

DEADLINE HOLLYWOOD DAILY: CBS Developing Cop Drama Based On Leslie Glass' April Woo Book Series

Leslie Glass' popular April Woo series of suspense novels is headed to TV. CBS has bought a drama procedural based on the nine mystery books that hails from Denis Leary and Jim Serpico's Apostle production banner and CBS TV Studios. Novelist and TV writer Amy Bloom, creator of the Lifetime series State of Mind, will write the script and executive produce the project with Leary and Serpico. Glass' April Woo mystery series center on the title character, a brilliant young Chinese-American who becomes the first female head of detectives in Coney Island, New York. Raised in the traditions of modesty, good manners and quiet self-effacement, she is hardly a perfect fit to tackle Coney Island's connected families, drug deals on the Boardwalk, feminist strippers, and corrupt politicians. The project stems from Apostle's first-look deal with CBS TV Studios for network TV.

Developing a drama series with a female Asian lead is a major step in diversity for the broadcast networks. It follows CBS' recent casting of black actors as the leads of three high-profile procedurals: LL Cool J on NCIS: LA, Laurence Fishburne on CSI and Forest Whitaker on Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior. It also comes on the heels of CBS' sister network launching the first major drama series with an Asian actress as the title character, thriller Nikita starring Maggie Q. The April Woo series spans nine novels published over 12 years: Burning Time (1993), Hanging Time (1995), Loving Time (1996), Judging Time (1998), Stealing Time (1999), Tracking Time (2000), The Silent Bride (2002), A Killing Gift (2003), A Clean Kill (2005). Bloom and Apostle are repped by WME.

I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga

TV series rights to Barry Lyga's I HUNT KILLERS, a dark thriller about a teen boy who uses his killer instinct, inherited from his serial killer father, to help solve a series of gruesome murders, to Warner Brothers Television with Silver Pictures (VERONICA MARS, SHERLOCK HOLMES) producing on behalf of Kathleen Anderson at Anderson Literary Management, by Hotchkiss and Associates.

VARIETY: WBTV to develop 'Killers' novel

Studio acquires rights to 2012 book

By DAVE MCNARY, JON WEISMAN

Warner Bros. TV has acquired rights to young-adult novel "I Hunt Killers" and plans to develop the project as a series with producer Joel Silver.

"Killers," written by Barry Lyga and scheduled to be published by Little Brown in April, concerns a teenager whose father is a jailed serial killer. Using his own knowledge, the teen tracks down other serial killers while remaining wary of his own potentially murderous impulses.

Hotchkiss & Associates, Anderson Literary Management and attorney Tom Collier of Sloan, Offer, Weber and Dern helped broker the deal.

Foreskin's Lament by Shalom Auslander

Film rights to New Yorker writer and This American Life correspondent Shalom Auslander's FORESKIN'S LAMENT, a memoir describing the author's Orthodox Jewish upbringing like a sardonic Portnoy, imagining worst-case scenarios that would be "so Old Testament," to Killer Films (FAR FROM HEAVEN), Epoch Films (JUNEBUG) and Anne Carey (THE AMERICAN, ADVENTURELAND) with the author writing the screenplay, by Hotchkiss and Associates.

The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler

Film rights to NYT Bestselling author Jay Asher and Printz Honor-winning author Carolyn Mackler's THE FUTURE OF US, in which two best friends log onto AOL in 1996 and discover a window to their future Facebook selves, to Warner Brothers, with Di Novi Pictures (SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS) producing, by Sean Daily at Hotchkiss and Associates, on behalf of Laura Rennert at Andrea Brown Literary Agency for Asher and Jodi Reamer at Writers House for Mackler. DEADLINE HOLLYWOOD DAILY

Warner Bros Grabs 'The Future Of Us'

EXCLUSIVE: Warner Bros made a fast deal Friday for screen rights to The Future of Us, a novel by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler. Denise Di Novi's Di Novi Pictures will produce. Fox was also in the mix. The book is set in 1996, when a young girl gets the Internet at home for the first time. When she logs on, up pops a strange website. It's her Facebook profile from 15 years in the future, and she and her best friend try to change themselves to fit into or reject their future lives. Subtle decisions drastically influence who they become. Asher wrote 13 Reasons Why, a first novel that has become a big international bestseller and which is being developed at Universal as a star vehicle for Selena Gomez to star and Strike Entertainment to produce. Mackler wrote The Earth, My Butt and Other Big Round Things. The Future of Us will be published in November by Razorbill, with a 500,000-copy first printing. Hotchkiss and Associates' Sean Daily made the deal with Andrea Brown Literary Agency and Writers House.