‘The Language of Flowers’ Film Rights Optioned by Fox 2000

Elizabeth Gabler’s Fox 2000 has acquired the film rights to The Language of Flowers, based on the critically acclaimed debut novel of the same name by Vanessa Diffenbaugh.

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The novel, published by Ballantine, hit bookstands in late August and has already earned a spot on The New York Times Best Seller List. Overseas, Language of Flowers also is a critical and commercial success in the U.K. and Italy (its first foreign markets).

Lucy Fisher and Douglas Wick, producers of Baz Luhrmann’s upcoming The Great Gatsby, are producing Language of Flowers through their Red Wagon Banner for Fox 2000.

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Fox’s literary consultant Drew Reed was a driving force in bringing the project to Fox 2000.

“We are immensely excited and inspired to be working with Lucy and Doug on this magical, extraordinary project and look forward to bringing Vanessa Diffenbaugh’s beautiful novel to life as a film,” Gabler said.

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The Language of Flowers is the moving story of a young woman brought up in the foster care system who learns to overcome her troubled by past by communicating through the Victorian art of flower arrangement, and is ultimately able to reconcile with the only mother she has ever known, as well as accepting the love of a flower vendor.

Diffenbaugh’s novel will be released in 36 additional countries, and has already reached No. 1 in Italy and No. 5. in the U.K, while Publishers Weekly selected the book as one of the fall’s Top 10 Literary Fiction titles. Carla Hacken will oversee for Fox 2000; Rachel Shane, for Red Wagon.

“Great characters make great movies and these are the most vivid and compelling women we have read in a long, long time,” added Fisher and Wick. “Fox 2000 is a perfect home for this movie and we are beyond thrilled to be working with Elizabeth and Carla.”

Film rights to the book were represented Sylvie Rabineau of RWSG working together with Diffenbaugh’s literary agent Sally Wofford-Girand of Brick House Literary Agents.Film rights were represented by Sylvie Rabineau of RWSG and publishing rights by Sally Wofford-Girand of Brick House Literary Agents.