Ever on the hunt for a new big science fiction franchise (what, Avatar not enough for them?), 20th Century Fox has bought up the rights to author John Twelve Hawks’ book series, known collectively as the Fourth Realm Trilogy, and set Watchmen co-writer Alex Tse to adapt them.
Kicking off with** The Traveller**, which hit shelves in 2006, the novels chronicle life in a dystopian, Big Brother-alike America where a secret organisation is aiming to control the populace via invasive, ever—present observation.
Naturally there are those rebelling against the new world order, including a near-extinct group of people known as Travellers, who can project their spirits into other dimensions and their protectors, called Harlequins.
We hope Tse doesn’t want to get to know the author to help him tackle the adaptation. Hawks is a pseudonym for a completely reclusive author who refuses contact with most people, preferring to communicate with even his agent and publisher via phone and largely staying off the grid. The book tour for The Traveller was conducted using stand-ins. Bet he/she’s going to love the attention that a movie based on his work would bring...