By shelling out seven figures, Universal Pictures has won the bidding war for the rights to children's fantasy manuscript SIMON BLOOM, THE GRAVITY KEEPER, according to THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. The soon-to-be published book from first-time novelist Michael Reisman, who is a script reader for Nickelodeon TV and Cartoon Network.
Gary Ross is eyeing the project as director and his Larger Than Life partner Allison Thomas would produce the live-action adaptation with Gotham Group's Ellen Goldsmith-Vein.
The young-adult novel chronicles the adventires of an 11-year-old boy and his two friends who discover a physics book that allows them to change the physical properties of the world, including gravity. Penguin plans to published the tome in August.
Naketha Mattocks will shepherd and exec produce for Larger Than Life while Lindsay Williams will do the same for Gotham. Jeffrey Kirschenbaum will oversee for Universal.
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