Hollywood seeks next 'Harry Potter' blockbuster in books

May 26, 9:56 AMBooks on Film ExaminerConnie Ann Kirk

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Forty-six Hollywood executives from SONY Pictures and Paramount met recently in a seminar to discuss their joint venture, The Adventures of Tintin:  The Secret of the Unicorn, directed by Steven Spielberg and produced by Peter Jackson.  The project, which studios hope to make into a trilogy, is one example of how Hollywood hopes to find movies that will be popular with audiences of all ages from among properties already enjoyed by children and families.  Rachel Abramowitz at The Los Angeles Times writes about the subject in an article called "Hoping to turn books into blockbusters."

According to the article, following the franchise model established by the Harry Potter series (which will be completing its run with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II in 2011) studio execs are looking for books that already have a built-in fan-base that they can count on crossing over as ready-made audiences for films.  The Harry Potter franchise is the second most successful franchise in film history, earning $4.4 billion in worldwide box office alone, with additional billions made from merchandise and DVD sales. 

In addition to studios considering turning popular children's books into films as a business model, filmmakers are also interested in creating films that can be enjoyed by their own families.  Projects currently in the works that illustrate both of these desires include:  The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien and Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan.

The problem that studios face with marketing the Spielberg/Jackson project, Tintin, is that it is a widely popular comic series in international markets but remains largely unknown in the U.S.

See Ms. Abramowitz's full, two-page article here.

[AP/Photo: Seth Wenig].