New Line toys with Brom's 'Plucker'

Godfrey, Bowen, Thoren to produce film

By MICHAEL FLEMING

New Line Cinema has optioned "The Plucker," an illustrated novel by Brom. Temple Hill Entertainment partners Wyck Godfrey and Marty Bowen will produce with Terry Thoren.

Published in 2005 by Harry Abrams, "The Plucker" revolves around a toy jack-in-the-box that awakens beneath its owner's bed and realizes it has been relegated to a place where undesired playthings go to die. There, he discovers the Plucker, a malevolent spirit from a mysterious new toy that has evil designs on the young owner of the toys.

Brom, an artist who began his career as a commercial illustrator of novels, role-playing games, videogames ("World of Warcraft") and such films as "Sleepy Hollow" and "Van Helsing," made "The Plucker" his first illustrated gothic tale. He followed it with "The Devil's Rose," described as a Western set in hell.

Studio is looking for a director. Godfrey and Bowen were introduced to the book by actor Channing Tatum, who'll likely take some producing credit.