Which books may have potential for film or TV options? Rights Available is a snapshot of notable new or upcoming titles that have appeal for studios (and have been shopped). Below are the titles featured in January and February issues of The Hollywood Reporter, all of which were available to pick up at the time of their respective issue publications.
Borders (LITTLE BROWN, SEPT. 7, 2021)
BY Thomas King AGENCY Westwood Creative Artists
This graphic novel is told from the perspective of an Indigenous boy who gets stopped at the U.S.-Canada border with his mother after they identify their citizenship as Blackfoot, leaving them in a prolonged limbo.
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The Chosen One (LITTLE BROWN, JAN. 4)
BY Echo Brown AGENCY WME
Part memoir and part magical realism, the story follows Echo as she navigates an Ivy League school as a Black woman, all the while contending with generational trauma and the mysterious visions that have begun invading her day-to-day life.
Devil House (MCD, JAN. 25)
BY John Darnielle AGENCY WME
As true crime keeps its hold on Hollywood, this book would allow for a filmmaker to hold a mirror up to the genre. It follows a true crime novelist who moves into the house where a double murder happened in the 1980s in order to write about it.
Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century (TIN HOUSE, FEB. 2)
BY Kim Fu AGENCY Westwood Creative Artists
Here’s a speculative short story collection ideal for streaming audiences accustomed to Black Mirror and The Haunting of Hill House: A runaway bride encounters a sea monster, a girl grows wings on her legs, and an insomniac is seduced by the Sandman.
A Comb of Wishes (QUILL TREE, FEB. 8)
BY Lisa Stringfellow AGENCY Writers House
Still reeling from the death of her mother, Kela finds a magical comb near the ocean that summons a wrathful mermaid that will grant her a wish — but at a dangerous price.
Red Thread of Fate (BERKLEY, FEB. 8)
BY Lyn Liao Butler AGENCY UTA
In this novel, a husband and wife want to adopt a baby from China, but the husband dies in a tragic accident involving his estranged cousin. Now the woman must care for the 5-year-old daughter of that cousin and decide whether to continue with the adoption.
Booth (G.P. PUTNAM’S SONS, MARCH 8)
BY Karen Joy Fowler AGENCY WME
This work of historical fiction focuses not on the most famous member of the Booth family but on the inner and outer worlds of his many siblings in the lead-up to and the aftermath of America’s first presidential assassination.
The Marvellers (HENRY HOLT & CO., MAY 3)
BY Dhonielle Clayton AGENCY Bent
Set in a magical school in the sky, the story follows a student, Ella, who is the first of her kind to attend the famed Arcanum Training Institute, where she has to overcome prejudice and, hopefully, make a friend or two.
