'Harry Potter' Producer in Talks With Summit About Fantasy Project 'Night Circus' (Exclusive)

David Heyman is zeroing in on his next fantastical book adaptation.

6:34 PM PDT 7/13/2011 by Borys Kit

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Harry Potter producer David Heyman is zeroing in on his next fantastical book adaptation: Night Circus, a feature set up at Summit.

Heyman is in negotiations to board the project as its producer.

The company picked up the book by first-time author Erin Morgenstern in January, with the novel due out in September from Knopf Doubleday.

The story is set at beginning 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 material seems ideally suited for the U.K.-based Heyman, having adeptly balanced stories of children and their parents, magic and an enchanted world to great effect with the Potter movies.

Sources caution the dealmaking is in the early stages and Heyman is a hot commodity coming off Potter; his deal may not be easy to close. Heyman has produced all eight Potter films in the Potter movie series, the most successful franchise of all time.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 is tracking to break box office records when it opens this weekend.

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