Even before it hits shelves at your local Barnes and Noble, Screen Gems have pounced on Elizabeth Richards‘ upcoming young adult fantasy series, Black City, in order to bring it to the big screen eventually. Although the first novel of the series, also titled Black City, won’t be released until November 13th, Screen Gems moved quickly to complete the rights deal for the series due to the high volume of buzz revolving around the books. [THR]
Black City is set in city where both humans and Darklings are forced to live separated by a high wall, with tensions still high between the two races after a war. The story “centers on 16-year-olds Ash Fisher, a half-blood Darkling, and Natalie Buchanan, a human and the daughter of the emissary, who meet and do the unthinkable — they fall in love.”
Black City also marks Richards‘ debut novel, which is not a shabby deal when it comes to Hollywood prospects. She started out as a video game reviewer, before turning to a travel writer and editor, where she specialized in cruise holidays. She also ran a lifestyle website for teenage girls, which is where she drew inspiration for her novels. Check out the full synopsis for Black City below via Amazon:
A dark and tender post-apocalyptic love story set in the aftermath of a bloody war
In a city where humans and Darklings are now separated by a high wall and tensions between the two races still simmer after a terrible war, sixteen-year-olds Ash Fisher, a half-blood Darkling, and Natalie Buchanan, a human and the daughter of the Emissary, meet and do the unthinkable–they fall in love. Bonded by a mysterious connection that causes Ash’s long-dormant heart to beat, Ash and Natalie first deny and then struggle to fight their forbidden feelings for each other, knowing if they’re caught, they’ll be executed–but their feelings are too strong.
When Ash and Natalie then find themselves at the center of a deadly conspiracy that threatens to pull the humans and Darklings back into war, they must make hard choices that could result in both their deaths.
Screen Gems is currently searching for a screenwriter to adapt the series.
Do you think Black City has a chance of competing with other fantasy based franchises?