Posted in: Movies, News | Tagged: james cameron, the devils

James Cameron Acquires The Rights To Adapt The Devils

James Cameron and his company Lightstorm have acquired the rights to adapt The Devils by Joe Abercrombie, with Cameron and Abercrombie co-writing the script.

Just when you thought director James Cameron couldn't possibly get any busier, considering there are still three Avatar movies that need to come out, we find out that he is taking on another project. In a press release sent out today (via The Hollywood Reporter and author Joe Abercrombie's official website), Cameron's company, Lightstorm, has purchased the rights to The Devils, written by Joe Abercrombie. The release confirms that Cameron is writing the script, and Abercrombie is serving as the co-writer. It doesn't say one way or another whether or not Cameron is directing The Devils, but that could be changing. The book is a new release as it just came out on May 6th, but has sold exceptionally well, and it is clear that Cameron sees some serious potential in this story.

Here is the synopsis for The Devils as written on Abercrombie's official website: "Europe stares into the abyss.

Plague and famine stalk the land, monsters lurk in every shadow, and greedy princes care for nothing but their own ambitions. Only one thing is certain: The elves will come again, and they will eat everyone.

Only the darkest path leads towards the light. A path the righteous will not dare to tread.

And so, deep beneath the sacred splendour of the Celestial Palace lies the secret Chapel of the Holy Expediency. For its congregation of convicted monsters there are no sins that have not been committed, no lines that will not be crossed and no mission that cannot be turned into a disastrous bloodbath.

When you're headed through hell, you need the Devils on your side."

We also got some quotes in the press release about the acquisition. "How do I describe The Devils?" Cameron said. "A sharply witty horror adventure? An epic battle between good and evil, except most of the time you can't tell which is which? A twisted, stylish, alt-universe middle-ages romp, where your best hope of survival is the monsters themselves? This is Joe Abercrombie in absolute peak form, opening up a whole new world and an ensemble of delicious new characters. The twists and turns come at a rollercoaster pace, and with Joe's signature acerbic wit and style. The Devils showcases Joe's jaundiced view of human nature, in all its dark, selfish glory, as told through some decidedly un-human characters. But of course, Joe always teases with the flickers of redemption that make it all worthwhile — and ultimately quite heartwrenching.

"I've loved Joe's writing for years, cherishing each new read, throughout the epic cycle of the First Law books, especially Best Served Cold (LOVE IT!) and the Age of Madness trilogy," Cameron continued. "But the freshness of the world and the characters in The Devils finally got me off my butt to buy one of his books and partner with him to bring it to the screen. I'm looking forward to the writing process with him, though I'm certain this adaptation will practically write itself because Joe writes very visually, almost in scenes, and with a very cinematic structure. I can't wait to dig into this as I wind down on Avatar: Fire and Ash. It will be a joyful new challenge for me to bring these indelible characters to life."

Abercrombie continued with his own comments, saying, "James Cameron has been thrilling audiences, including me, by putting the impossible on film for over four decades. No one can balance mind-blowing action and spectacle with gut-wrenching personal stakes and story the way he does. I can't think of anyone better to bring this weird and wonderful monster of a book to the screen." At the bottom of the announcement on his personal site, Abercrombie reiterated that he can't say much more about The Devils aqusition and says, regarding Cameron, "there are few bigger beasts in the industry." However, as Abercrombie is not new to the industry, as he did some writing on Borderlands and wrote two episodes of Love, Death & Robots, he knows that acquisition doesn't always mean adaptation. "But it remains an industry with no guarantees," he writes. "My advice, as always with adaptations, is don't hold your breath…"

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