The Package Deal

Today (or late last night, technically) Variety broke the news that I've been dying to share for, oh, two months now: Lionsgate has bought the rights to my novel, Severance Package, with Marc Platt and Adam Siegel (of Wanted fame) producing.

Even better: I've been hired to co-write the screenplay with Brett Simon (Assassination of a High School President), who will be directing.

Sharp-eyed Secret Dead Blog readers may have noticed an abundance of Hollywood/L.A. photos around these parts recently; that's because I've spent quite a bit of time out there this summer, mostly meeting with Brett and hammering out adaptation ideas. We've been having a blast, and hopefully that enthusiasm will make its way into the eventual screenplay. That's not to say that adapting your own work is the easiest thing in the world. The crap you can pull in a novel doesn't translate easy to film. (Like, say, putting your heroine in a coma for half of a novel. Cool in print; boring as shit on screen.)

Anyway, now that this cat is out of the bag, I'll share as much of the experience as I can on this blog. Namely, because I'd want to read about it, too. And believe me, I know the deal: many books are called, few are chosen. A million things can go wrong. This all could evaporate... like, tomorrow. But I have a really good feeling about this team. And it's already been fun.

Meanwhile, the only diva-like demand I've made (to Brett) is that this classic 80s hit single play over the end credits. (Mostly to piss off Ed Pettit.)

Brett kind of just looked at me funny.

Illustration by Dennis Calero.