Robert Liparulo is an author you should know. His first two suspense thrillers Comes a Horseman and Germ, released in 2005 and 2006 respectively, have both been optioned for film. Deadfall, Liparulo’s third novel, is slated for a November release, and although book four is unfinished, he has already sold the film rights to Phoenix Pictures. I am pleased that he agreed to talk with me about his writing.
Vicki: Your novels are dramatic and visual - they read like a screenplay; so it’s no surprise that both have been optioned for film. Are you pleased with how production is going, and are you involved with either screenplay?
Liparulo: Mace Neufeld, who has produced all of Tom Clancy's movies, and General's Daughter, and a whole slew of successful films, is producing Comes a Horseman. They’re still trying to get a good script. They’ve rejected two scripts by two prominent scriptwriters, is my understanding. So, they're not at the casting stage yet. I have no idea who they have in mind. I did get a chance to talk with Mace about the script. I suggested another twist at the end, one that’s not in the book, and he seemed to really like it. Aside from that, I don’t have any input. I get to go to the premiers….I’m just biding my time and watching. Hollywood sometimes moves ten miles a minute, sometimes at a snail’s pace. Often, a lot of behind-the-scenes activity goes on, but it’s stuff that can’t be talked about publicly until contracts are signed and announcements made.
Red Eagle Entertainment, a relatively new but well positioned production company, is making Germ. Right now, they have Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time in production. They're putting something like $100 million into it - nothing to sneeze at. They said they want to put Germ on the same track. I’m writing the screenplay, so I do have more input this time.
But in Hollywood, scripts get polished and re-written all the time; I’m not expecting the movie to be exactly what I write. When the offers started coming in, I asked Morrell and a few other authors who had sold to Hollywood what I should do. Their advice was to take the money and run. They said it only hurts to try to influence how your stories will be interpreted on the screen. You gotta let it go. Except for the Germ screenplay, I've been able to do that. I'm comfortable that I've done my job and the movies will be what they will be. At the last meeting I had with them, which was just a few weeks ago, we talked about who in the film community has expressed interest, mostly which directors. I can’t say anything now, but if it goes the way it seems to be going, it’ll end up being pretty big, in terms of talent and its “presence” in theaters.
Article comments
1 - Joe
Great informative read.
2 - Vicki
Thanks, Joe!