Director Steven Spielberg on the set of INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL (2008).
© Paramount Pictures
Spielberg Ready for 39 CLUES
By: Jarrod SarafinDate: Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Hollywood mogul Steven Spielberg is no novice in terms of ambitious adventures (Indy being just one) and now, he's on the verge of launching yet another one, which will cross many different medium platforms. The new multiplatform adventure series called 39 Clues----which launches this fall--- will also have a theatrical film in the works with Spielberg likely directing, reports Variety. DreamWorks co-chair/CEO Stacey Snider struck the deal with Scholastic Media president Deborah Forte. Forte and Spielberg will produce; Spielberg is expected to set a screenwriter in the next few weeks.
"The 39 Clues" takes "creative leaps to expand the story experience from the pages of the books to multiple stages of discovery and imagination," Spielberg said in a statement.
"There is enough material here for three or four movies," Snider told the trade.
So, how ambitious is this new enterprise? Well, read the previously released press statement below.
Scholastic, the global children's publishing, education and media company, breaks new ground with the launch of The 39 Clues, a multi-platform adventure series for ages 8-12. Scholastic's Trade publishing division will launch the program simultaneously in September 2008 in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. Combining reading with online gaming and collecting, The 39 Clues will include 10 adrenaline-charged books to be released over a 24-month period, 350 collectible cards, and a dynamic online game where readers uncover information beyond what is revealed in the books and cards and compete for prizes. All rights for The 39 Clues are controlled by Scholastic, and Scholastic Media, the company’s entertainment, licensing and consumer products division, will be extending the print and internet components by developing the property across other media and consumer products. The first book in the series, The Maze of Bones is written by #1 New York Times best-selling author Rick Riordan, who also outlined the program’s 10-book story arc. The Maze of Bones will be released in September 2008, and the official The 39 Clues game will begin worldwide on September 9, 2008.
"With the breakthrough concept of The 39 Clues, Scholastic is uniquely positioned to reach millions of young people who are readers, gamers, collectors, or all three, and encourage them to participate in a multi-dimensional 21st Century reading experience," said Ellie Berger, President, Scholastic Trade. "With this innovative series, Scholastic will reach millions of kids worldwide—getting them excited about books in a whole new way."
"The 39 Clues is an immersive experience, whose high powered, adventurous storylines and characters are perfect for development across both traditional and new media platforms," said Deborah Forte, President of Scholastic Media.
The 39 Clues centers around the Cahills—the most powerful family the world has ever known. The source of its power is a mystery that can only be unraveled by assembling 39 clues hidden around the world throughout history. The spellbinding first book (Book #1: The Maze of Bones, September 2008), by Rick Riordan, author of the New York Times bestselling Percy Jackson series, will be followed by a team of best-selling and acclaimed authors, including Gordon Korman (Book #2, January 2009), Peter Lerangis (Book #3, April 2009), and Jude Watson (Book #4, July 2009). Additional authors and publication dates for subsequent titles will be announced at a later date.
There will be 350 collectible cards created for The 39 Clues—each marked with a unique code. Six cards are included with each book, and randomly assorted card packs of sixteen will be available for purchase separately. Kids can register their cards online and manage their card collections through The 39 Clues website, while trying to collect them all. The 39 Clues website currently under construction, The39Clues.com will allows kids to participate in the adventure by tracking their points and their clues, managing their card collections, digging through the Cahill archives for secrets, and "traveling" the world to collect Cahill artifacts, interview characters, and hunt down the clues. The official The 39 Clues game will begin worldwide on September 9, 2008. Finding clues and earning points results in prizes—and those who solve all 39 clues will be able to compete for the grand prize.
Scholastic will be giving away more than $100,000 in prizes in a variety of ways throughout the duration of the series. Once a participant finds all 39 clues and uncovers the Cahill treasure, they are entered into a pool of eligible candidates that will compete for the chance to win a grand prize of $10,000.
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