Universal purchases CIRQUE DU FREAK

By: Patrick Sauriol
Date: Friday, January 14, 2005
Source: Variety

The movie rights to Darren Shan's bestselling children's book series CIRQUE DU FREAK have been sold to Universal Pictures. With a dozen books already published in the CIRQUE series, the new film plans on using the first three tales as source material for the movie's screenplay. Brian Helgeland (THE ORDER, A KNIGHT'S TALE) has been hired to write the screenplay and Lauren Shuler Donner (X-MEN) will produce the picture. Helgeland will also receive an executive producer credit.

Shan's stories follow the adventures of pair of boys (funny enough, one's named Darren Shan) that go to visit a travelling freak show filled with odd and dangerous entertainers. While there Darren's friend Steve makes a pact with a vampire, leading our youthful narrator faced with a terrible decision to make.

If things go according to Universal's plans, the studio hopes to make a trilogy of films from Shan's books.


Got a scoop? Know something that you need to tell us about? Send it to us!