Some big Hollywood news!
Finally! I haven’t wanted to announce it until it’s official, but I guess since it’s in today’s Publisher’s Weekly, that makes it official:
This week in Page to Screen—PW’s column tracking film rights circulating and sold in Hollywood—a Brokeback Mountain producer nabs a YA backlister, and an Amazon Breakthrough Novel winner gets looks in Hollywood.
Proving that Hollywood’s interest in YA fare is showing no signs of waning—and is scouring the backlist for more—producer Diana Ossana (Brokeback Mountain) optioned Robin Brande’s Evolution, Me, and Other Freaks of Nature, which Knopf published in 2007. The novel, Brande’s debut, is about a high school girl who becomes unwittingly embroiled in local controversy after shining a light on an organized push to “de-gay” a classmate—she’s ostracized by friends, her church and her family. Eric Reid at William Morris Endeavor brokered the deal on behalf of Laura Rennert, at Andrea Brown.
Can I just give this a YIPPEE!!?? I’m so, so excited. I have a huge amount of respect for Diana Ossana, who not only produced, but also co-wrote with Larry McMurtry–and won the Academy Award for–the screenplay of Brokeback Mountain. Yes, this whole thing gives me chills. Yes, I am extremely happy and grateful. And I’m happy to be able to share the news with all of you!
Robin!!!! I am over the moon for you. Oh yes I am. Woottt!!!
Thank you, Liz!!!!! I appreciate that!
HOLY COW!!! This is incredible! I’m just in awe and so thrilled that your talent is being recognized for what it is. You put so much work, effort, thought, and heart into that book. It will translate well to the screen and speaks directly to so many significant current issues. I wish you the best in this new leg of your writing adventure!
Kelley, thank you for everything you said! You make me feel so good.
HUGE congrats, Robin! Can’t wait to see Evolution on the big screen!
You are my HERO, Robin! I’m so excited about this!!
Thank you, Lisa and Joanne! Thanks so much!
(If you all are tired of being thanked, too bad. I’m grateful for the support and kindness I get from this community, and so I will keep thanking!)
Wow congratulations! That sounds like a match made in Hollywood Heaven. But don’t you let them destroy your beautiful book! (With Hollywood you never know…) If they let you stay involved I’m sure it’ll be wonderful.
And welcome back from your trip. Your tweets made it sound like it was quite an adventure!
Shannon, that trip was a big adventure, and now that I’m getting my brain back (seriously, whoever invented jet lag is a bad, bad person), I’m actually starting to process everything that happened. Some day soon I’ll be able to give out some highlights!
And I hear you on the Hollywood thing (and thanks for what you said!), but I’m really happy that Diana Ossana is the one to option it, because I greatly respect how she turned the short story for Brokeback Mountain into the movie we saw on screen, and I can’t wait for her to bring that same artistry to Evolution! I feel I have a lot to learn from someone with her talent.
Yay Robin!!! What absolutely fantastic news! I love it when good things happen to good people.
Cheers to you!!
Congratulations, Robin! So exciting!!
Brokeback Robin!!!
That’s fantastic! I loved your book so much – it was absolutely brilliant! Any way I can be part of the movie
Kay, that’s so nice! Thank you!
Thanks, Jama and Patrick. And P, thanks for the new nickname–I like it.
Lindsey, I have absolutely no powers over the Hollywood action. If I did, I’d want to be in the movie myself!
CONGRATULATIONS ROBIN! I AM SO HAPPY FOR YOU!!!!! This is fantastic news. Well deserved
What a perfect way to kick off the release of Fat Cat!
Congratulations! That’s awesome
This is fantastic news, Robin! I loved Evolution and KNOW it will make a great movie. Congratulations!
And I can say “I knew her way back when!” Taking you to Dover still gives me chills when I talk about it…and we’re currently planning our THIRD One Book, Every Freshman, with more financial support than ever! You are so deserving of this. I’m already planning my opening night outfit.
Molly, I’m so happy to hear that you’re already doing your third “One Book, Every Freshman,” and that it’s gaining such support! That was a brilliant brainchild for you, and I was honored to be the first guest!
Sarah, thank you for your enthusiasm–full caps and all the exclamation marks! And yes, it is a happy way to go into the release of my next book! Woot!
Thank you, Allison!
Thank you, Vivian. It’s such a wonderful feeling to imagine real live people playing those parts! The whole thing makes me so happy.
Congrats, Robin. I’m over the moon for you!!! I hope they cast someone really hot to play Casey…
This news has given me a fabulous warm fuzzy glow in the middle of a dreary, chilly Michigan day.
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! I am doing the funky chicken dance of happiness!
GO ROBIN!
And I agree with Elizabeth, Casey better have a hottie cast as him!
Awe to the some there,Robin!
Yay Robin!! That’s fantastic news!!
Woo-hoo! That’s AWESOME news!
Rockin’ good news, Robin! You’re such an inspiration.
I screamed right out loud–that is so exciting!
Elizabeth and Shai, to tell the truth, until you both mentioned it I hadn’t even gotten to the stage yet of wishing for someone hot (that would be nerdy hot, let’s be clear) to play Casey. So much fun to think about!
Thank you, Lady T! And thanks a million times over for running the FAT CAT contest while I was gone! You did a great job.
Thanks, Katie Sis, and congratulations on winning one of the FAT CAT books and t-shirts! They’ll be coming to you soon.
Bill, I know you know how hard it is to get a movie made. It’ll be interesting (to say the least) to watch this whole thing play out. But each step along the Hollywood road is very exciting to me!
Spice, thank you for making a rare appearance on the blog. And thanks for all the secret help you gave me on the research side of FAT CAT.
Adrienne, thank you for the scream! I love the scream!
That made my day. I’m so excited and so happy for you! It would make such a great movie. Hope that everything works out and I’ll see it in theaters one day!
Omigosh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Congratulations, Robin. What fantastic news. Super, super cool. Very excited for you.
Thank you, Felicity! I appreciate all that!
Heather, thank you for your happy response. I’m always a fan of the multiple exclamation marks!!!!!!!
I read this amazing news on The Daily Sheet (24th Oct.) of Dave Cullen’s Brokeback Mountain Forum. Here is the link http://tinyurl.com/ygp43hm
I must confess I’m hearing about you for the first time (my bad) and I can’t wait to read the book. I’m looking around your site now.
The subject of your book is very close to my heart. I’m delighted that Diana Ossana has optioned it.
Congratulations and all the very best from me in India!
Incognita
I just finished reading Evoultion, Me and Other Freaks of Nature. I picked it up thinking the title sounded cute and would distract me from my colonscopy prep! lol And I’m so glad I chose it!
I LOVED it! I couldn’t put it down! And finished it in one day! Which is unusal for me! I immediatley hopped online to find a web page for you and am so happy to hear it is going to be made into a movie!
Congradulations!!!! I can’t wait to see it! And I’m very excited to read the latest book!
Thanks, Incognita! I think you’re the first person who’s ever commented from India. Welcome!
And Cristina, you are DEFINITELY the first person who’s told me she’s read my book while waiting for a colonoscopy. I. Am. Honored.
And P.S., Cristina: I’m really glad you loved it! Thank you!