Following a rather long stint on his Avatar films, James Cameron will be picking up the reins on Joe Abercrombie’s fantasy novel, The Devils.
Although it may seem like James Cameron has been working on his Avatar films and only his Avatar films for many years now, we have seen inklings here or there that the veteran filmmaker may yet be coaxed from the world of Pandora and back into other realms, imaginary or otherwise.
In autumn of last year he announced that he’d secured the rights to Charles Pellegrino’s 2015 book Last Train From Hiroshima, adding that he’d also snapped up the rights to the author’s forthcoming follow-up, Ghosts Of Hiroshima and planned to adapt the novels into an ‘“uncompromising theatrical film.”
Pellegrino’s book covers the devastating effects of the atomic bomb, from its detonation on the 6th August 1945 to the suffering left behind in its wake.
But in rather encouraging news, it looks like Cameron is also broadening his horizons and looking to take on more projects beyond the Avatar series. Case in point: Cameron has announced that his company, Lightstorm, has secured the screen rights to novelist and film editor Joe Abercrombie’s latest book (it was only published in May), The Devils.
In a statement, Cameron wrote:
“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. 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’m looking forward to the writing process with him, though I’m certain this adaptation will practically write itself because Joe writes very visually, almost in scenes, and with a very cinematic structure. 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.”
Not to be confused with Ken Russell’s controversial 1971 film The Devils (itself a loose literary adaptation of books by John Whiting and Aldous Huxley), Abercrombie’s tome is a dark fantasy novel. Here’s an excerpt from its synopsis:
Plague and famine stalk the land, monsters lurk in every shadow and greedy princes care for nothing but their own ambitions. Only one thing is certain: the elves will come again, and they will eat everyone.
Avatar 5 isn’t set to arrive until 2031 and will likely mark the end of Cameron’s role as director of the franchise. However, given that Cameron specifically mentions using the window between the upcoming Avatar: Fire And Ash and the untitled Avatar 4 to co-write this project, is it possible we could see him squeeze a directing gig in there too – perhaps The Devils or even his Hiroshima film?
It’s unlikely of course, but we can hope. We’ll bring you more on this one as we hear it.
