After the blockbuster success of her directorial debut Pitch Perfect 2, The Holywood Reporter says actress Elizabeth Banks is circling her second directorial outing at Universal with an adaptation of hot YA novel Red Queen, which was written by 24-year-old Victoria Aveyard.
Here’s the synopsis for the #1 New York Times bestseller: Mare Barrow’s world is divided by blood–those with common, Red blood serve the Silver- blooded elite, who are gifted with superhuman abilities. Mare is a Red, scraping by as a thief in a poor, rural village, until a twist of fate throws her in front of the Silver court. Before the king, princes, and all the nobles, she discovers she has an ability of her own. To cover up this impossibility, the king forces her to play the role of a lost Silver princess and betroths her to one of his own sons. As Mare is drawn further into the Silver world, she risks everything and uses her new position to help the Scarlet Guard–a growing Red rebellion–even as her heart tugs her in an impossible direction. One wrong move can lead to her death, but in the dangerous game she plays, the only certainty is betrayal.
Jake Weiner, Chris Bender and JC Spink of Benderspink (who encouraged Aveyard to write the book while she was a student at USC) will produce Red Queen alongside Pouya Shabazian and Christopher Cosmos. The screenplay has been written by Gennifer Hutchison (“Breaking Bad,” “The Strain”).
