Lionsgate Wins Rights To Adapt Upcoming YA Book ‘Thieves’ Gambit’ With Steven Caple Jr To Direct

Patrick Hipes
·2 min read
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Lionsgate has acquired motion picture adaptation rights to Thieves’ Gambit, an upcoming young adult thriller novel by Kayvion Lewis that has been generating deals and buzz ahead if its planned fall 2023 publish date. Steven Caple Jr, whose directing credits include Creed 2 and the upcoming Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, is attached to helm.

The book’s plot centers on a young woman, raised by her parents to be an expert thief, who must enter a dangerous, cutthroat competition that pits her against other young, talented thieves where the winner takes all.

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The adaptation is being produced by Temple Hill Entertainment, Caple and Hodson Exports’ Christina Hodson and Morgan Howell. Lewis will executive produce. Meredith Wieck and Jon Humphrey will oversee for Lionsgate, with Wyck Godfrey, Isaac Klausner and Annika Patton overseeing for Temple Hill.

“Thieves’ Gambit is a thrilling, wish-fulfilling, globetrotting adventure that will introduce the world to an iconic new heroine,” Lionsgate president of production Erin Westerman said in a release Thursday. “Kayvion Lewis is a tremendous new talent, and we’re confident that Steven and our friends at Temple Hill and Hodson Exports will shepherd it into an electrifying movie.”

Lewis, a 23-year-old librarian from Louisiana, saw her Thieves’ Gambit acquired at auction for seven figures in a North American deal by Nancy Paulsen Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House. Simon & Schuster Children’s Books have acquired UK and Commonwealth rights, and series translation rights have sold in 14 territories to date.

We hear the film rights deal was also competitive and involved several studios and networks/streamers.

Meredith Wieck and Jon Humphrey will oversee for Lionsgate, with Wyck Godfrey, Isaac Klausner, and Annika Patton overseeing for Temple Hill, and Christina Hodson and Morgan Howell overseeing for Hodson Exports. Robert Melnik negotiated the deal on behalf of Lionsgate.

Caple is in postproduction on the latest installment of the Transformer franchise starring Anthony Ramos and Dominique Fishback. He is repped by CAA, Untitled Entertainment and Hansen, Jacobson.

Hodson and Hodson Exports are repped by CAA and Kaplan/Perrone Entertainment. Lewis is represented by CAA and Greenhouse Literary Agency.

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