Summit Buys Rights to 'Night Circus'

Summit Entertainment has picked up the movie rights to a manuscript for a young adult novel from first time writer Erin Morgenstern titled Night Circus.

To be published later this year, the novel is set at the turn of the 19th century, telling the story of two young magicians, pawns in an age-old rivalry between their mercurial, illusionist fathers, and the enchanted circus where their competition (and romances) play out. Fates of everyone involved – from creators and performers to patrons hang in the duo’s balance.

The book was a big hit at the Frankfurt book fair last year and had been scouted by other studios.

Summit plans on taking the material out to talent as soon as next week in the hopes to nabbing a filmmaker with a strong point of view on the material.

Inkwell’s Richard Pine, Morgenstern’s publishing agent, will executive produce. UTA repped Pine and the author in the deal.  

Erik Feig, Summit’s president of production, and creative executive Jeyun Choi will oversee the project for the studio.