Paramount Secures Francis Lawrence to Direct 'Red Rising' Adaptation

Key points

• Paramount Pictures has acquired the film rights to 'Red Rising,' the first novel in Pierce Brown's best-selling dystopian science fiction series.
• Francis Lawrence is attached to direct the adaptation, following his work on 'The Hunger Games' franchise and the upcoming 'The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping.'
• Justin Rhodes, known for his work on 'Bioshock' and 'Terminator: Dark Fate,' will pen the screenplay for the film.
• The story is set on Mars in a future society divided by a color-coded class system, focusing on a miner named Darrow who infiltrates the elite 'Gold' class to bring it down.
• Lawrence and Cameron MacConomy will produce the film alongside Francesco Goedhuis, with Brown serving as an executive producer.
• The project joins a slate of literary adaptations at Paramount, including 'Children of Blood and Bone' and 'The Midnight Library.'

Background

Paramount has been actively expanding its slate of literary adaptations, with 'Children of Blood and Bone' set for release in January 2027 and 'The Midnight Library' scheduled to shoot next year. Francis Lawrence is also returning to the 'Hunger Games' universe with 'Sunrise on the Reaping,' set for release in November 2027. The 'Red Rising' series has sold over 6 million copies, with seven books published and a seventh currently in development.

Why it matters

The acquisition of 'Red Rising' signals Paramount's continued strategy of adapting high-profile literary properties into major studio films, leveraging established directors like Francis Lawrence to anchor their sci-fi and dystopian offerings. The project also highlights the studio's focus on franchise potential, given the multiple books in the series.

What to watch

The next steps will likely involve finalizing the production schedule, as Justin Rhodes is currently working on other projects, including 'The Traveler' and 'Liminal.' Paramount will also need to confirm the release window for the film, potentially aligning it with other major sci-fi releases in the late 2020s.