Warner Bros.-based Section 8, the production shingle of Steven Soderbergh and George Clooney, has nabbed John Saul's latest novel, "Midnight Voices," reports Variety.
The movie will be produced by Clooney and Soderbergh. Andy Cohen of Grade A Entertainment, who brought the project to Section 8, will co-produce.
The Section 8 deal marks the first of a number of upcoming projects for novelist Saul, who along with his reps is eyeing a grander entry into the film, TV and new-media worlds.
"Midnight Voices," which was released in bookstores June 1, tells the story of a recent widow who falls in love with a seemingly perfect man. When they marry, she and her two children move into a gothic apartment building in New York with her new husband. When her daughter becomes critically ill, the mother discovers the ghastly secrets that lie between the walls of the building.
"Midnight" is Saul's 30th novel. All 30 supernatural and technological thrillers became bestsellers, yet few have attracted film interest until now.
Saul's reps are talking to production companies about "The Manhattan Hunt Club," which came out in paperback in May. Book originally sparked enormous enthusiasm in Hollywood upon publication last September, only to find itself a victim of the Sept. 11 attacks. It has also generated interest from vidgame producers.
Another Saul title, "The Right Hand of Evil," has just come out of option from Dimension Films and is out to writers for adaptation. Saul is also pitching a couple of TV shows based on original ideas.
Saul's new push into film, television and new media is a result of the author's partnership with Mike Sack and Cohen.
"I've been a fan of John Saul's, both personally and professionally, for some time," Cohen told Daily Variety. "When we sat down to discuss representation, I was excited by both his and Mike Sack's ideas, not just for the existing backlist of books, but also for new projects based on their original concepts . . . . I think it's only a natural extension of his talents to branch into movies, television, theater, videogames and the Internet."
Added Saul: "I think Section 8 is the perfect home for 'Midnight Voices' and look forward to working with everyone there in many ways. To me, this is just a beginning. Mike Sack and I have a lot of ideas that go far beyond the boundaries of book covers."