A24 Lands Rights To Octavia E. Butler’s ‘Parable Of The Sower’, Setting ‘Time’ Director Garrett Bradley To Helm

Justin Kroll
·1 min read
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EXCLUSIVE: A24 has won rights to Octavia E. Butler’s science fiction odyssey Parable of the Sower, the first in a two-book series, and has set Time director Garrett Bradley to direct. Originally published in 1993, the book has recently been rediscovered by fans and appeared on the New York Times bestseller list for the first time in September 2020, fulfilling a lifelong dream of Butler’s.

Paul Mezey will produce the film. The rights deal was negotiated by Anonymous Content on behalf of Merrilee Heifetz at Writers House. A24 will finance and distribute.

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Set in a near-future Los Angeles devastated by societal collapse, a teenager with a unique gift must lead humanity in a battle against extinction.

The project would mark Bradley’s first feature film at a major studio following a run of critically acclaimed documentaries including the Oscar-nominated Time from Amazon Studios. Her newly released docuseries Naomi Osaka recently premiered on Netflix to acclaim.

As for Butler, the literary icon and beloved sci-fi author has received widespread recognition for her work, including winning the Hugo and Nebula awards multiple times. She also was the first science fiction writer to receive a Macarthur “Genius” Grant. Translated in 12 foreign languages, Butler’s works are taught in over 400 college courses. NASA recently named the landing site for its Perseverance rover on Mars in Butler’s honor.

Bradley is repped by CAA and managers Dan Janvey and Rebecca Wyzan.

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