David Baldacci’s Middle Grade Fantasy Novel Optioned for Film

By Jason Boog 

Baldacci304Sony Pictures Entertainment has optioned the film rights to David Baldacci‘s upcoming middle grade fantasy novel–nearly six months before the novel hits bookstores.

Matt Tolmach will produce the film.  Lucy Stille at Paradigm and literary agent Aaron Priest negotiated the deal with Columbia Pictures production president Hannah Minghella and production VP Lauren Abrahams. Here’s more from the announcement:

Scholastic Press will publish the book in the U.S. in March 2014. Baldacci’s books have sold over 110 million copies worldwide. Columbia’s New York-based book scout, Mark James, first brought the project to the studio’s attention. Kate Checchi will oversee for Tolmach.