Warner Bros. Acquires 'Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter' Scribe's Next Book

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Seth Grahame-Smith, left, with David Katzenberg

Warner Bros. has acquired the rights to Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter author Seth Grahame-Smith's new book Unholy Night for approximately $2 million. Grahame-Smith will write the script. 

our editor recommends

Johnny Depp's 'Dark Shadows' Photos Draw Comparisons to Michael Jackson, Willy Wonka

Unholy Night retells the birth of Jesus as an adventure story centered on the three kings in the nativity story who travel to Bethlehem to witness his birth. In Grahame-Smith's version, the three kings are thieves on the run who are forced to help Mary and Jesus escape to Egypt. Along the way they battle magical biblical creatures and encounter figures like Pontius Pilate and John the Baptist. Grand Central will publish the book on April 10, 2012.

Grahame-Smith pioneered the current trend of literary mash-ups with the surprise 2009 bestseller Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. He followed that up with this year's hit Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. Grahame-Smith wrote the screenplay for the movie version of Abraham Lincoln due in June 2012.

He also wrote the screenplay for the Tim Burton-directed remake of the TV show Dark Shadows, which is set to be released in May 2012 and created the MTV show The Hard Times of RJ Berger.

Grahame-Smith will also produce the film with partner David Katzenberg through their KatzSmith Productions shingle in conjunction with David Heyman and Jeffrey Clifford's Heyman Films.

KatzSmith recently acquired the rights to produce the movie version of the hit Young Adult novel The Scorpio Races.