James Cameron will co-write a film adaptation of Joe Abercrombie’s novel The Devils with the author himself. Cameron announced the news himself on Monday via Facebook, explaining that his production company Lightstorm Entertainment has acquired the rights to the book. This is Abercrombie’s latest novel, hitting shelves just last month, though the author is best known for long-running series like The First Law. Cameron excitedly told fans that he will begin work on The Devils as soon as Avatar: Fire and Ash is finished.
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“I’ve loved Joe’s writing for years, cherishing each new read, throughout the epic cycle of the First Law books, especially Best Served Cold (LOVE IT!), and the Age of Madness trilogy,” Cameron wrote. “But the freshness of the world and the characters in The Devils finally got me off my butt to buy one of his books and partner with him to bring it to the screen. I can’t wait to dig into this as I wind down on Avatar: Fire and Ash. It will be a joyful new challenge for me to bring these indelible characters to life.”
Abercrombie gave a statement for the press release as well, saying, “I can’t think of anyone better to bring this weird and wonderful monster of a book to the screen.” The British author’s First Law series spans nine novels and two short story collections, while he has written another trilogy called Shattered Sea as well. The Devils is the first in a new trilogy of novels, published by Tor.
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So far, the only move to adapt Abercrombie’s work to the screen has been a film adaptation of Best Served Cold — a stand-alone novel within the First Law series. Rebecca Ferguson will star as Monza Murcatto, and the movie will be directed by Tim Miller. It is in pre-production, with no recent updates.
Unlike First Law, The Devils is set in a fantastical version of our real world. A race of flesh-eating elves threaten to overrun Europe, which is already infested with other monsters beyond our comprehension. The story follows Brother Diaz, who is tasked with assembling a team of men and monsters to hold off the elf onslaught.
Cameron is currently focused on the third installment of his Avatar series, which is scheduled to hit theaters on December 19th. It takes us back to the distant moon Pandora to live among the Na’vi as they deal with more human visitors. Cameron still plans to make two more movies in this series, with plans to release them in 2029 and 2031, respectively.
For now, Abercrombie’s new novel The Devils is available in print, digital, and audiobook formats wherever books are sold. Avatar: Fire and Ash hits theaters on December 19th.
