Rogue, Random book 'Infested'

Rogue Pictures and Random House Films have picked up the rights to Scott Sigler's upcoming thriller novel "Infested" and its untitled sequel.

"Infested," due to be published in the spring, was picked up by Random House imprint Crown Publishers in a world-rights multibook deal.

The book follows a CIA black ops specialist and a Center for Disease Control scientist who team to contain a rapidly spreading parasite whose bite turns ordinary people into crazed serial killers. The trail of corpses leads to an infected man who is fighting a bloody battle for control of his own mind and body.

Adrienne Biddle and Alex Heineman will oversee "Infested" for Rogue Pictures. Executive story editor Valerie Cates will oversee the project for Random House Films.

No writers have been hired to adapt the tome.

Sigler is a sci-fi and horror novelist who turned to podcasting when his novel "Earthcore" wasn't picked up for publishing after Sept. 11, 2001. He since has built a significant following with podcasted novels "Ancestor" and "The Rookie."

"Infested" is the latest project from the partnership between Random House Films and Focus Features/Rogue that was formed in November 2005. The pair's inaugural film is "Reservation Road," based on the novel of the same name by John Burnham Schwartz, which Focus will release in the fall. The drama is directed by Terry George and stars Joaquin Phoenix, Mark Ruffalo and Jennifer Connelly.