Given its success with the likes of Twilight and** The Hunger Games**, we can just picture its scouts always on the phone to publishing houses, demanding a first look at the potential Next Big Thing. The studio has now leapt on the rights to Kimberly McCreight’s embryonic fantasy trilogy The Outliers, partnering up with Reese Witherspoon to begin development on a film version.
Another entry into the increasingly crowded Young Adult fiction category, McCreight’s first tome (which won’t hit shelves until late 2015) follows a young woman investigating her best friend’s disappearance. The friend turns up in a remote spot as part of a group calling themselves Outliers, who claim that they can turn human intuition into a powerful psychological weapon. Our heroine joins the group, but is soon on the run, fighting for her life.
Right now, Witherspoon is only attached to produce alongside Todd Lieberman, David Hoberman and Bruna Papandrea, though there’s always a chance she could snag a role if she likes what she sees when the script arrives. Finding a writer, of course, is the next step. Lionsgate will also have to hope that the book actually becomes popular and that the Young Adult flames haven’t begun to sputter by the time this latest entry is ready for screens.