Filmscope Entertainment has secured exclusive film and TV rights to US author Margaret Weis’ Star of the Guardians sci-fi novels.
The protagonist is a Royal Guardian who battles her ex-lover, a powerful and ruthless warlord, in the ultimate fight to control a galaxy and to restore glory to the kingdom and the rightful heir to the throne.
Filmscope partners Deidre Kitcher and John V Soto intend to start by adapting the first novel of the series, The Lost King, into two films.
It’s the most ambitious undertaking yet by the filmmaking duo whose credits include Soto's The Reckoning, Needle and Crush, and almost certainly would require the backing of a Hollywood studio or mini-major .
“We are talking to several US based parties at the moment, although open to discuss this project with others,” Kitcher and Soto tell IF.
Kitcher first read the books in the 1990s and sparked to the strong female protagonist, the relationships between the characters and the narratives’ epic scale.
Earlier last year she contacted Weis’ manager, eventually spoke to the author and demonstrated her encyclopaedic knowledge of the novels.
Weis, her manager and publisher Random House did due diligence on Filmscope, its productions and upcoming slate and were satisfied that Soto and Kitcher had the capacity and connections to bring the series to life.
There are four books, with a spin-off series of novels entitled Mag Force 7.
Weis said, "I am thrilled that Filmscope Entertainment has acquired the rights to Star of the Guardians. This series has long been dear to me. The Star of the Guardians novels were the first novels I wrote and, like a first love, they remain very special. I can¹t wait to see my vision come to life."
More news about the projects will be announced during the world’s largest fantasy and sci-fi convention, DragonCon 2015 in Atlanta in September.
Meanwhile, Filmscope’s next production, writer-director Pauline Chan’s My Extraordinary Wedding, is expected to start pre-production in September.
Chan’s Darkroom Films and Filmscope will co-produce with China Film Assist (CFA). The comedy will follow a wedding that turns into a wild chase from Perth to Busselton and beyond.