di Bonaventura
In a high-six-figure deal, Universal Pictures has bought screen rights to James Siegel's upcoming novel "Deceit" for Lorenzo di Bonaventura to produce.
Jon Gordon, who recently came to U as co-prexy of production, supervised the purchase of "Deceit," to be published in August by Warner Books. InkWell's Richard Pine brokered the deal for Siegel.
Story involves a cover-up in which the facts of a nefarious deed are given to the one person -- a journalist and notorious liar -- who is least likely to be believed.Subject is certainly topical, given the recent discrediting of authors James Frey and J.T. Leroy.
Siegel is a longtime ad agency copywriter who recently left his post as creative director and vice chairman of BBDO to write fiction full time. He also wrote the novel "Derailed," which formed the basis for the Weinstein Co. drama of the same title. Di Bonaventura produced that film and Gordon was the exec on it.
Deal marks the third Siegel novel adaptation for Di Bonaventura, who's also developing "Detour" at Paramount, his home studio. The producer last worked with Universal on "Doom."
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