Fox acquired the film rights to the bestselling Fourth Realm trilogy by reclusive author John Twelve Hawks, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Alex Tse (The Watchmen) will write the screenplay. Producers are Gil Netter (The Blind Side) and Andrew Tennenbaum (The Bourne Identity).
The acquisition has refueled interest in speculating about the real identity of John Twelve Hawks, and New York magazine reported that "famous fake memoirist" James Frey is the current target, inheriting the dubious honor that "has previously landed on James Patterson, Stephen King, and Michael Chabon."
Although Frey is co-writing a six-part sci-fi series under the pseudonym Pittacus Lore, he dismissed (sort of) any connection with the Fourth Realm trilogy in a statement to the New York Post: "I will neither confirm nor deny that I am John Twelve Hawks, Pittacus Lore, or anyone else.... I will say that I have done, and I am continuing to do, projects that will come out anonymously or with invented names on them."
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Fast Company explored the flourishing online rumor mill regarding possible source material for the next Jason Bourne movie. Since no one can ask the late Robert Ludlum, Fast Company suggested we "simply follow the author on Twitter, become a fan of his on Facebook, and watch some of his promotional videos on YouTube. No, not Ludlum, a different bestselling author: Eric Van Lustbader. Lustbader is Ludlum's heir apparent, and he's already published five Bourne books. Now he's promoting his latest novel, Last Snow, and tapping social media to drop clues about which book may serve as the inspiration for the next Bourne movie."