'Babel' speaks to Focus

Bestseller gets bigscreen translation

By DAVID ROONEY

Heyman

NEW YORK -- Focus Features has struck a deal with producers David Heyman, Corey May and Dooma Wendschuh to finance and distribute the screen adaptation of author Carolyn Parkhurst's bestselling debut novel, "The Dogs of Babel."

Published last summer by Little, Brown, the book centers on a linguistics professor whose wife dies after falling from a tree. The man becomes obsessed with teaching their dog to speak in order to learn whether the death was an accident or suicide.

Parkhurst has become a hot name in publishing circles after the success of "Babel," which made the New York Times bestseller list and was featured on the "Today" show book club. The author recently closed a mid-six-figure deal for her forthcoming second novel, "Lost and Found," also sold to Little, Brown.

The "Babel" adaptation had been expected to land at Warner Bros., where "Harry Potter" producer Heyman's Heyday banner is based. However, Focus closed the deal early this week. Heyman teamed on the project soon after publication with Sekretagent Prods. partners May and Wendschuh, who had optioned the novel in galley form.

"Focus is one of the few studios not afraid to take a chance on material that's out there and different. They make intelligent films driven by strong characters and stories," Wendschuh said.

Ed Wintle of Gotham-based lit agency Curtis Brown was instrumental in getting the book set up as a feature.

Los Angeles-based VP of production and development Khali Small will oversee the project for Focus; Tiffany Daniel and Marc Rosen are overseeing for Heyday. No screenwriter or director has been attached.