James Cameron announced that his company Lightstorm Entertainment has acquired the rights to “The Devils,” a new book by author and screenwriter Joe Abercrombie, for which Cameron will co-write an adaptation for the screen.
The book is a dark fantasy novel that draws from classic horror tropes. It follows a priest on a holy assignment who discovers the mission he serves is filled with murderers, dark magicians, and monsters, meaning that if any of them are to reach God, it will require bloody means. The book just released last month and hit #1 in the UK and #5 on the New York Times Best Sellers List.
“How do I describe ‘The Devils?’ 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,” Cameron said in a statement. “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 heart-wrenching.”
Cameron would co-write the script with Abercrombie, and he would begin work on the project after he completes “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” which opens in theaters this December and is the third of five planned “Avatar” films. The fourth “Avatar” movie doesn’t come out until December 2029, and the fifth film is currently dated for December 2031.
He continued: “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. 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 is the author of several other fantasy books, but he’s also the screenwriter behind “Borderlands” (billed as Joe Crombie) and the series “Love, Death, & Robots.”
“James Cameron has been thrilling audiences, including me, by putting the impossible on film for over four decades,” Abercrombie said in a statement. 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. As always with these things, I can’t say much more at this point. Exciting news, it hardly needs to be said. I’m gonna be writing with, erm, James Cameron. Clearly there are few bigger beasts in the industry. But it remains an industry with no guarantees. My advice, as always with adaptations, is don’t hold your breath.”
