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EXCLUSIVE: Warner Bros has acquired screen rights to A Discovery of Witches, the bestselling novel by Deborah Harkness. Denise DiNovi and Allison Greenspan will produce. The debut novel is about a centuries-old vampire, a spellbound witch and a mysterious manuscript that draws them together. They’ll put a writer on it right away as the studio looks for more opportunities to tap the fantasy vein now that the Harry Potter series has concluded. In fact, the success of that final Potter installment has every studio foraging for the next young adult franchise. Harkness is writing this as a trilogy and the second installment, Shadow of Night, will be published by Viking next summer. Harkness was repped by CAA, which made the deal for the Frances Goldin Literary Agency.
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Admittedly, I’m not in the target demographic for this project but isn’t this vampire crap getting old?
No, Anonymous, you don’t get it. You see these vampires are different to those other vampires, and it’s a completely different witch too, so not to be confused with previous witches, whilst the manuscript is a special, new kind of manuscript. Viewers are in for a vampire-witch-manuscript-athon like they’ve never seen before so won’t in the least think “Oh, there’s a complete lack of imagination going on here, with a studio serving up a desperate and cynical attempt to repeat a formula in 3D in selected theaters.”
This is far from “vampire crap” and admittedly I’m Anne Rice fan but this is an entirely different approach. Both authors are exceptional writers so there’s more to their books than the subject matter. It’s almost like a journey.
Not the first thing I’d normally read but the reviews were excellent. It turned out to be a surprisingly good read and very well-written. It is a mystery as to why it took this long for a studio to option this.
I’ve got a better idea for Warners. Just reboot the HARRY POTTER franchise. That’s right, just restart that fucker from the beginning. You’ve got the sets. You’ve got the old scripts. Get a group of new child actors, a hot young (and completely controllable) director and say action. Heck, they’ve already done that with SPIDERMAN.
Seriously. Genius. WB needs to hire you… although now that you’ve given up your one big idea… maybe they don’t.
Clarification: by “they’ve already done that with Spiderman”, I mean Sony, not Warners.
And here’s advice for a rival studio: option the book by that woman who sued J.K. Rowling for copyright infringement, “LARRY POTTER AND THE MUGGLES”. People will just see the words POTTER and MUGGLES and start lining up.
The book is a terrific read – and an intelligent one. I’m thrilled to hear a movie will be made and hope the screenplay stays true to the story as written by the book’s author.
Why cant they just make a movie of the original yes The Worse Witch.
Why couldn’t Spider-Man fight a witch?
Win!
I am very excited about this. I hope Warner Bros doe it up right..with all the details and i can’t wait to see Matthew’s home and the Aunt’s house!!
I am thrilled to hear the news! I’m a huge fan of Deborah Harnkess and loved ADOW it is a FANTASTIC, INTELLIGENT and ENTERTAINING book. Personally I cannot wait for Shadow of Night and the 3rd installment of the story. The idea of seeing the beloved characters on the big screen is absolutely amazing. One word of caution WB, if I may, please please please don’t cast a cliche Hollywood poster boy man as Matthew–that would be tragic.
For the dissenters, thanks for your opinions but there are plenty of us who love fantasy genre and are perfectly content with the continued creation of books & movies with this subject matter. If you’re not into it great, please do go watch something else. I agree with some of the other posts if Twilight has left a bad taste in your mouth–this is very different indeed…give it a shot, you might like it!
I’m agreeing with everything you said anonymus! I have just finished reading the second book in the trilogy and can’t wait for the third!! Anyone know when it will be out?
I’d also like to see unknowns play Diane and Matthew, the title characters. Use some veteran actors for the smaller parts!
How about a young James Mason type if you can find one today. Try to see the movie “Pandora and the Flying Dutchman” of which I was reminded while reading the first two Harkness books and you’ll see how “interesting” James Mason was. He always seemed to be hiding a secret, especially in his earlier British films.
Strange to lump this with Potter. Potter is YA fiction, this book, which is excellent, is not YA, it’s fiction with adult characters.
Well written with a fresh take on the genre. It’s mysterious but the heart of the story is about love, betrayal, history, and mystery… all the ingredients for a great movie. You get an excellent protagonist and very worthy nemesis. It has world locations UK, France, and the US… to name a few and depending on how much back story they put into the script. I’m looking forward to this adaptation.
This book is more than a cut above any other vampire novels out there. A very intelligent, thoughtful book. Probably the best book I’ve read this year. Really looking forward to the rest of the trilogy.
This film is going to be fantastic. I like Harry Potter but not the Twilight sagas. A Discovery of Witches is in a completely different world of its own. A beautifully written book and I have no doubt the sequel will be as good if not better. All I ask of Warner Bros is that the English characters are English, please don’t cast American accents as English accents – the Oxbridge connection is crucial to the ambience of the story – remember Kevin Costner/Robin Hood-Christian Slater/Will Scarlet, lovely film but dreadful accents in Sherwood Forest!
GREAT!!! Fabulous book! Will be an incredible film (as long as they don’t screw up Deborah’s book!). And CAN’T wait for books II and III. SO GLAD that someone finally took up the standard from Anne Rice and is writing “Vampire/Witch” fiction for adults instead of this teeny-bopper True Blood/Twilight crap.
“A Discovery of Witches” was a great book, and like the others who mentioned it, I am looking forward to the two sequels. These books are NOT geared towards the tween set, they are not a regurgitation of Harry Potter and Twilight. The story and characters are quite unique and “adult”.
I really enjoyed the book and read it in two sittings. When I finished it and immediately tried to download the next in the series, I discovered that it hasn’t been released yet. So, not yet willing to give up the read’s ambiance, I went to the book and author’s website. The site had a survey about who should play Matthew if a film was made. None of the choices fit as far as I’m concered. However, tonight I was watching a new TV series and discovered Anson Mount. Look him up on IMDB. I think he’d be perfect Warner Bros. I’m looking forward to the movie.
Aiden Turner the Irish actor who plays Mitchell in the British Being Human looks exactly like Matthew should look.
Jennifer Morrison should play the lead witch in this movie. She’s perfect.
This was a wonderful book I heard the audio version
And I was addicted. Thank God there is another book
I can’t wait for the movie.
Very intellectual read and informative.
Hugh Jackman for Matthew!
I not sure what people are talking about that there are to many vampire and witch movies, i have never read Harry Potter or any other of that type of genere, but this book is so well written and a great plot, can’t wait for the next book if you decide not to read it brcause it has vamps and witches in it you will be losing out!
For all the people out there that say they vampire , witches are old read the book it goes in to so much more then that it is a great book i have read it 4 times and get something new ever time cant wait for a movie for it
This is literature, written by a college prof of European History and the history of Science at USC, who is a non-fiction history and wine writer. set at first in Oxford, she brings to life the sounds, scents, and life of a university library, of the city of Oxford, of a fine cup of tea or moving through yoga class. I will be excited only if a director/film company manage to leave the story intact rather than make it into a Marvel Comics style of movie.
To be honest i adore the book and cant wait for the second. but Movie wise i would love to see it, but i would certainately hope that they use unknown actors and actresses. thats what they did when they found the leads for the harry potter movies. or atleast the first one the three mains were unknown. i just cant picture known actors and actresses playing the characters of a discovery of witches. and if anyone ever tries to say that the all souls trilogy is anything like twilight i sware i will scream and die. this trilogy is nothing compared or like any other vampire or witch books ive ever read. Deborah Harkness is now my all time favorite author ever
Definitely Anson Mount for Matthew. . . he’s got the grey eyes and the hair going for him and he doesn’t look twenty-something. He looks mid to late thirties just like he’s described in the book. . . yum.
I have not got into vampire and witch books; but, this held my attention and imagination to a point. That I myself have read the book 7 times and can’t wait for the movie to come out.
This is one of the best books I have read in a long time it kept me guessing til the end and it wasn’t the same as bullshit as the other stories u read it had a new text a grown one which is a nice twist