This one may be good, it may be a bust, but New Line has won the bidding war and acquired the acquire screen rights to the Nicci French novel “Land of the Living,” with James Ellroy set to write the script.
The deal is said to have been near seven figures both for the rights to the book and Ellroy’s script fees. The book was published two years ago but apparently gained steam when Ellroy pitched his take on the novel and interest grew considering this was the first time he will adapt a book other than his own for the screen. Previous adaptations and upcoming include The Black Dahlia and the Oscar-winner L.A. Confidential, Dahlia is being directed by Brian De Palma over at Universal and stars Josh Hartnett, Scarlett Johansson, Hilary Swank and Aaron Eckhart.
“Land of the Living” concerns a promiscuous woman who’s captured and tortured by a serial killer. After surviving the ordeal, she has to figure out what happened because cops and even her friends think she fabricated the story.
