From The Andromeda Strain to State Of Fear, from Runaway to Jurassic Park, you want a techno-thriller then you turn to one man – Michael Crichton. The giant of the genre may no longer be with us but his final book, Eruption, based on a partially finished manuscript has been the subject of a massive bidding war for the rights.
The manuscript was finished with the blessing of Crichton’s estate by thriller author James Patterson. The resultant story attracted the attention of all the major Hollywood studios. Sony Pictures has won the screen auction.
Eruption tells the story of the once-in-a-century volcanic eruption of Hawaii’s Mauna Loa. This threatens a secret cache of U.S. military chemical weapons that can destroy not only the island but the world.
Crichton worked on the book for years and alongside the manuscript there were reams of scientific research, comprehensive notes, detailed options, and outlines. The notes were augmented with interviews Crichton had with numerous leading vulcanologists.
According to a report in Deadline the Oscar-winning directors of Free Solo and Nyad – Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi – are attached. There have been early discussions with Keanu Reeves to star. Woah!
Patterson, Chin, Vasarhelyi, Sherri Crichton, and Shane Salerno will produce Eruption.
Crichton’s books have sold over 200 million copies worldwide, and over a dozen have been adapted into films. He is also a screenwriter and filmmaker.
Patterson’s books have sold more than 425 million copies, and he was the first person to sell one million e-books. In 2016, Patterson topped Forbes‘s list of highest-paid authors for the third consecutive year, with an income of $95 million. His total income over a decade is estimated at $700 million.