When Duane Swierczynski shared the news that his terrific novel The Blonde had been optioned by Hollywood, I unaccountably failed to report it here. But little in the world of crime fiction escapes The Rap Sheet's J. Kingston Pierce, and he has the latest details on the story.For those not following the story from the start, here's a timeline.
*December 2006: An as-yet-unproduced screenwriter reviews The Blonde. The opening paragraph:
If Duane Swierczynski's new book The Blonde hasn't been optioned by a movie producer yet, Hollywood's paid novel readers aren't doing their jobs. And once they do "discover" this book, I hope they'll hire me to write the adapted screenplay. Why? Because the story will make a cracking good movie and the screenplay almost writes itself.*July 2007: Duane Swierczynski contributes an entry for The Blonde to My Book, The Movie. The money paragraph:
"The Blonde": You'd need someone who's beautiful with the potential for being badass. Michelle Monaghan (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang) comes to mind, as does Melissa George, who played Lauren Reed in season three of Alias.*March 2008: Swierczynski shares the news that the book has been optioned. Here's the official announcement:
Film rights to Duane Swierczynski's THE BLONDE, about a soon-to-be-divorced young father who is poisoned by a beautiful woman at an airport bar, and told if he wants to live, he must stay by her side for the next 12 hours, optioned by "Mission Impossible: III" and "Gone Baby Gone" co-star Michelle Monaghan, with screenwriter Paul Leyden attached, by Angela Cheng Caplan on behalf of DHS Literary Inc.*April 2008: The Rap Sheet links to a Los Angeles Times story with more details on the deal, including the news that "Monaghan and Leyden had been looking to collaborate (he's married to her best friend)..."--which doesn't leave me the least bit bitter. Not one bit. Really. Not. One. Bit.
The Blonde was one of my favorite books of 2006. I hope it makes it to the big screen.
--Marshal Zeringue
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