Calling all Deryni fans

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

The front page of today's Hollywood Reporter carried an announcement that Columbia Pictures is preparing a $150 million screen adaptation of Katherine Kurtz's long running Deryni series. (Kurtz is also the author of the esoteric Scottish detective series "The Adept".)

So, who do you think they'll cast as Kelson? or Morgan?

And when will someone bring "The Adept" to the screen, big or small?

[smaughazard]

Given that it's Hollywood, we can count on someone like Brad Pitt as Morgan. I would be more concerned about who's writing the screenplay: is it based on the original trilogy; is it a pastiche of all the novels or are they going to utilize "Hollywood creativity" (oxymoron) to totally bastardize it?

[Carolina Kiltman]

Since it is Hollywood, I'l just stick with the books. Thank you very much!

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

Given that it's Hollywood, we can count on someone like Brad Pitt as Morgan. I would be more concerned about who's writing the screenplay: is it based on the original trilogy; is it a pastiche of all the novels or are they going to utilize "Hollywood creativity" (oxymoron) to totally bastardize it?

Writer-Director Alex Sabeti is a long-time fan of the Deryni Series and used his own money to option Deryni Rising earlier this year.

According to Katherine Kurtz the script is faithful to the novels, while expanding the story line, something Kurtz has recently done to the first three novels in the series by adding several new chapters to each of the three books. The enhanced Deryni Rising will hit the bookstores in November, with Deryni Checkmate and High Deryni -- both with new material added -- to follow in December and January.

Expect the film to arrive at your local cinema sometime in late 2010 or in 2011. And no, Brad Pitt probably won't play Morgan.