Universal Picks Up Sci-Fi YA Novel 'Arclight' for Imagine to Produce (Exclusive)

Courtesy of Universal

Two weeks after picking up a supernatural young adult novel from hot teen author Julie Kagawa, Universal is back in the YA market, picking up the movie rights to Josin L. McQuein’s upcoming novel Arclight.

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Imagine Entertainment's Brian Grazer is on board to produce while Matthew Sand, best known for writing the 2009 Wachowski-produced action movie Ninja Assassin, will pen the screenplay.

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The sci-fi YA novel is set in a post-apocalyptic future where the remnants of humanity are hunkered down in an outpost protected by a wall of light named Arclight, hiding from creatures known as the Fade. Into this enclave enters a lone teenage girl with no memory of who she is and how she survived in what is called the Dark but one who holds the key to its survival.

Publisher Greenwillow Books made a big investment in the title, paying McQuein $500,000 in 2011 in a two-book deal. The book is due to hit shelves April 23, 2013.

Pouya Shahbazian of New Leaf Literary & Media will produce with Grazer. Imagine’s Erica Huggins and Sarah Bowen will exec produce. 

Arclight marks a rare entre into the sizzling YA field for Imagine, which next has Rush, Ron Howard’s racing pic starring Chris Hemsworth opening September 23.

Universal’s vp of production Maradith Frenkel and creative executive Chloe Yellin will oversee the project.

Sand, who also has Deepwater Horizon set up at Summit, is repped by ICM Partners, Circle of Confusion and Gang Tyre. New Leaf and attorney Steve Younger handled the book-to-film deal.