HorsePower Entertainment has inked a six-figure option to adapt "The Palace Thief," Ethan Canin's New York Times bestseller.
Scribbler Neil Tolkin will tackle the screenplay, which will be produced by HorsePower principals Sean Bailey and Cooper Layne. Tolkin will also produce.
"It's a sweeping story, written by an incredible author," Layne told Daily Variety. "We were surprised a story of this high caliber was available." Layne declined to comment on the financial terms of the deal.
The coming-of-age story tracks a 50-year relationship between a prep school teacher and a student, a sort of "Dead Poets Society" meets "Mr. Holland's Opus."
The deal adds to HorsePower's burgeoning slate, which includes the action-thriller "The Core" at Paramount, and a pair of pics at Fox 2000. The Fox pics include Ted Griffin's "Best Laid Plans," which is being produced by Bailey, Layne, Chris Moore and Mike Newell, who may also direct.
In addition to readying Griffin's "Underground," HorsePower also has in the hopper "Mobile," which it will exec produce, with Lynda Obst attached to produce the Griffin script.
Contact the Variety newsroom at
news@variety.com