Former politician and long-time potboiler novelist Jeffrey Archer might not be the world’s most literary scribbler, but he certainly seems to attract plenty of attention for film and TV types looking to shove his work on both the big and small screens. Hot on the heels of Bourne producer Frank Marshall signing on to develop his book A Matter of Honour as a movie comes word that The Walking Dead’s Gale Anne Hurd wants to turn another of his tomes, The Eleventh Commandment, into a TV series.
The novel, originally published in 1998, follows what happens when ace CIA assassin Connor Fitzgerald is framed for a fake assassination attempt on a Russian presidential candidate. Fitzgerald must race to prove his innocence and also prevent World War III.
“Jeffrey Archer’s storytelling is compelling, character driven and perfect for television-full of fast-paced, high-stakes danger,” Hurd said in a statement picked up by Deadline. There’s no word yet on whether her Valhalla Entertainment company is looking to tinker with the plot to bring it a little more up to date. As of right now, it’s simply in development, though given Hurd’s recent track record, it has a good chance of hitting our goggle boxes.
Both of these new projects work of Canadian company New Franchise Media, which struck a deal last year for the worldwide rights to 10 of Archer’s books. So if the idea of new visual fodder based on Archer’s work has you delighted or depressed, you know who to credit/blame…