The Red Rising book series by author Pierce Brown has officially been greenlit for a movie adaptation from Paramount Pictures, with Hunger Games alum Francis Lawrence to direct.
Red Rising is getting the Hollywood treatment more than a decade after it was first published in 2014. As confirmed by The Hollywood Reporter on October 16, Paramount Pictures has picked up the rights to the series, which will be brought to the screen by director Francis Lawrence.
Lawrence is known for his work on another young adult screen adaptation in the Hunger Games series, having directed every movie in the franchise sans the first one, which was directed by Gary Ross. Lawrence recently directed Stephen King adaptation The Long Walk, as well as the forthcoming Sunrise on the Reaping, the latest movie in the Hunger Games franchise.
Lawrence is also set to produce the Red Rising film alongside Cameron MacConomy for their about:blank production company, as well as Francesco Goedhuis and the author of the Red Rising saga himself, Pierce Brown.
Brown reacted to the news in a post on his Instagram account, writing, "Let fall the iron rain. Bloodydamn, I love this team."
Joining Red Rising is Justin Rhodes, who will write the movie’s script. Eagle-eyed IGN readers will recognize this name, as he is also involved in Netflix’s live-action Bioshock movie, which is reportedly still in early development. Rhodes is known for films like Terminator: Dark Fate, Traveler, and Liminal.
Red Rising is a sprawling book series that is planned to end with its seventh and final installment, which as yet has no release date. Set in a galaxy with a strict, color-coded caste system, the books follow Darrow, a Red — the lowest rank on the social totem pole. He and his fellow Reds toil tirelessly in the mines of Mars, with the hope that one day, they will be able to make the planet habitable for human life… but it turns out that this was already accomplished generations ago.
After learning of this massive betrayal, Darrow makes it his mission to infiltrate the highest social caste, the Golds, and set things right across the entire galaxy in a deadly conflict that spans more than a decade. If you're interested in getting into the books, you can check out our guide to navigating this sprawling adventure, which will no doubt come in handy once the movie eventually gets released.
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Image Credits: Penguin Random House, YouTube