Halcyon inks Philip K. Dick deal

Company gets first-look at sci-fi writer's work

By DIANE GARRETT

'Blade Runner'

The Halcyon Co. has inked a three- year first-look deal for all the works by sci-fi scribe Philip K. Dick that have not previously been adapted.

Renewable deal with Electric Shepherd Prods., a shingle run by two of the late author's daughters, follows Halcyon's May acquisition of the "Terminator" franchise. It allows them to develop adaptations for the bigscreen, smallscreen and other media platforms.

Dick wrote more than 120 short stories and 45 novels, including "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" the basis for "Blade Runner." Nine films have been adapted from his work so far, including "Total Recall," "Minority Report" and "A Scanner Darkly." Together these films have grossed more than $1 billion worldwide.

"Only a tiny, tiny portion of his work has been tapped," said Halcyon co-CEOs Victor Kubicek and Derek Anderson. They cited the novel "Ubik" as a likely candidate for adaptation.

Under the deal, Halcyon will develop adaptations in conjunction with Electric Shepherd, headed by Isla Dick Hackett and Laura Leslie. They and their brother Christopher Dick have managed their father's estate since his death in 1982. The ESP shingle worked with Richard Linklater on "A Scanner Darkly" and is producing a biopic on their father for HBO/Picturehouse.

Halcyon is in pre-production on the first installment of the new "Terminator" trilogy.