LOS ANGELES, CA (July 17, 2014) –
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures (MGM) has secured the feature film rights to Terry
Hayes’ international bestselling espionage thriller “I Am Pilgrim” it was
announced today by Jonathan Glickman, MGM’s president, motion picture group.
Hayes, a former journalist and award-winning screenwriter whose credits include
“Payback,” “Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior” and “Dead Calm” is adapting his debut
novel for the screen. Lloyd Braun is producing the film through his Whalerock
Industries. Andrew Mittman at Whalerock
will serve as Executive Producer.
“Pilgrim” is the codename for a
man who doesn’t exist. The adopted son of a wealthy American family, he once headed up a secret espionage unit for US intelligence. Now in
anonymous retirement, he is called upon to lend his expertise to an
unusual investigation but ultimately becomes caught in a terrifying
race-against-time to save America from oblivion.
The thriller, which has recently
landed on The New York Times bestseller
list and has appeared on countless recommended summer reading lists nationwide,
soon will be translated into 20 foreign language editions. It has also already
appeared on the major US, UK, German and Dutch bestseller lists. Critical raves
include The New York Times’ Janet
Maslin: “Mr. Hayes’s globe-trotting book has more kicks, twists and winks than
anything of its dusty genre has provided in a long time. You will be happily
surprised to find a new thriller franchise with brains to match its brawn;” The New York Post: “The next Girl With The Dragon Tattoo;” The
Daily Mail: “A summer blockbuster;” and The
Associated Press: “The storytelling and a truly intriguing protagonist make
I Am Pilgrim a contender for
best-of-the-year lists.”
“In creating such an original
character in such a riveting, relevant story, Terry has provided us a great template
for not only one film, but for a series that can play to global audiences for
many years to come,” said Glickman.
"Having written and
produced movies myself, the most important thing for me when it came to selling
the film rights to Pilgrim was the people who would be involved. Luckily, it
turned out better than I could have ever imagined - I have had the pleasure of
working with Gary Barber and Jonathan Glickman previously and I have long been
an admirer of Lloyd Braun and the wonderful material he has championed. I
couldn't be happier that not only this book, but those which are due to follow,
is in their hands," said Hayes.
Hayes is represented by WME and Hansen, Jacobson, Teller, Hoberman, Newman,
Warren & Richman, LLP. Emily Bestler Books/Atria Books, a
division of Simon & Schuster, is the U.S. publisher of “I Am Pilgrim” and Transworld,
a division of Penguin Random House, is the novel’s UK publisher. MGM’s Glickman
and Matt Dines, vice president, production will oversee the project on behalf
of the studio.
MGM will be in theaters next with
Hercules, starring Dwayne “The Rock”
Johnson and directed by Brett Ratner, on July 25 with Paramount Pictures. The
studio’s romantic film If I Stay,
starring Chloe Moretz, is scheduled for release August 22 with partner Warner
Bros./New Line. Also with Warner Bros./New Line is the final film in The Hobbit Trilogy, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies due in theaters December
17. Hot Tub Time Machine 2 with
Paramount Pictures will also arrive in theaters nationwide on Christmas Day.
# # #
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer is celebrating 90 years
as a leader in the entertainment business and as an innovator in the industry.
Today, MGM is an
entertainment company focused on the production and distribution of film and
television content globally. The company owns one of the world’s deepest
libraries of premium film and television content. In addition, MGM has
investments in domestic and international television channels. For more
information, visit www.mgm.com.
Media Contacts:
Film:
Kristin Cotich
MGM
(310) 449-606/kcotich@mgm.com
Publishing:
In the US:
David Brown
Simon & Schuster
(212) 698-7092/David.Brown@simonandschuster.com
In the UK:
Polly Osborn
Transworld
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