One of the most common questions young readers ask authors is, “Will your book be made into a movie?” or “Can I be in the movie version of your book?”
As of today, the answers to those questions are, “YES!” and “MAYBE!”
Well, the yes is kind of a maybe too.
See, filmmakers have optioned the movie rights to my first book, BUTTER, a few times, but nothing ever came of it until now. A few years back, director/producer Paul Kaufman reached out to me asking about the film rights to BUTTER. The film option was tied up with someone else at that time and would be for at least another year. Disappointing timing, as Kaufman seemed like the better fit. However, he remained interested and was tenacious about seeking the option. A year later, when the other contract expired, Kaufman picked it up. I was thrilled!
More exciting still, he sought my consultation on the script, a courtesy many authors do not get when their books make the leap to film. The current script is very faithful to the book, and the few changes are appropriate – so much so that at least one change I really wish I could write into the book!
So, after working on the script, I still did not get my hopes up. Hollywood seems to move even slower than publishing, and a lot of things can go wrong in the journey to make a movie. Instead of speculating or hoping, I buried myself in drafting my next book, THE CHAOS OF NOW. But while I was writing, Kaufman was working! And it looks like Butter’s story has a fighting shot of making it to screen.
Here is a link to the movie website, including a nationwide casting call underway for the lead character of Butter!
I hear that in Hollywood, there is no guarantee a film will get made until it’s actually, well, made. But I’m letting myself get my hopes up… just a little.
