Jeff Nathanson has signed on to write the screenplay for the first film installment of The 39 Clues, it was announced today by Stacey Snider, Co-Chairman and CEO of DreamWorks Studios, and Deborah Forte, President of Scholastic Media.
DreamWorks Studios recently acquired the movie rights from Scholastic Media to the highly anticipated multi-platform adventure series which Forte will produce and Steven Spielberg is eyeing to direct.
Nathanson once again joins Spielberg, having worked on three of the director’s films including writing the screenplays for The Terminal and Catch Me If You Can, for which he earned a BAFTA Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay. Nathanson also contributed to the story for the recent worldwide blockbuster Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. His other credits include the screenplays for Rush Hour 2 and Rush Hour 3, The Last Shot, which he also directed, and New York, I Love You, which is scheduled for release next year.
“Jeff’s writing brings characters to life with his great sense of adventure touched with humor and suspense, just the right recipe for our family film,” said Stacey Snider of DreamWorks.
“Jeff’s accomplishments as a screenwriter and storyteller combined with his enthusiasm for the project make him the ideal person to adapt ‘The 39 Clues,'” said Deborah Forte, producer.
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 hunt begins for “The 39 Clues,” an interactive multi-platform adventure series, on September 9, 2008. The first book, “The Maze of Bones,” written by #1 New York Times best-selling author Rick Riordan, will be released simultaneously in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. The second book, “One False Note,” by Gordon Korman, will be published on December 2, 2008. Additional authors and publication dates for subsequent titles will be announced at a later date. The official “39 Clues” online game also will launch worldwide on September 9, 2008, on The39Clues.com. Combining reading with online gaming and card collecting, this interactive series for ages 8-12 spans 10 adrenaline-charged books, hundreds of collectible game cards, and an online game that allows readers to play a part in the story and compete for prizes.
The 39 Clues website, The39Clues.com, will allow kids to participate in the adventure by tracking 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. Finding clues and earning points results in prizes — and those who solve all 39 clues will be able to compete for the grand prize.
