Paramount Acquires Sci-Fi Novel ‘Nexus’ For Mary Parent’s Disruption And Darren Aronofsky’s Protozoa
EXCLUSIVE: Paramount Pictures has acquired screen rights to Nexus, the science fiction novel by Ramez Naam. The project will be produced by Mary Parent and Cale Boyter through their Disruption label and Darren Aronofsky and Scott Franklin through their Protozoa banner. Negotiations are underway for the book to be adapted by Ari Handel and Mark Heyman. Handel is a longtime Aronofsky associate who co-wrote Aronofsky’s upcoming Biblical epic Noah, which Parent produced. Heyman wrote Aronofsky’s Black Swan and recently signed on to adapt the Franck Thilliez novel Syndrome E for Paramount and Indian Paintbrush.
The author is former CEO of Apex Nanotechnology, and he previously wrote the nonfiction book More Than Human: Embracing The Promise Of Biological Enhancement. Nexus is his first novel, and it takes place in the near future in a battle for mind control. A young technologist becomes the first person to invent controllable nanotechnology software for the brain. He then becomes an unwilling pawn in an international battle to control the new technology, chased by mercenaries and government agents looking to make enhancements of their own. The book was published to rave reviews late last year by Angry Robot. Paramount’s Geoff Stier is overseeing with Disruption’s Ali Mendes, who just moved over from Protozoa.
Hotchkiss And Associates’ Sean Daily brokered the deal for Lucienne Diver of The Knight Agency.
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