Marie Lu's Blog, page 112
March 30, 2011
Abused Protagonists
Was sketching this today, after rereading a LEGEND scene where I make Day get hurt. a LOT. There really ought to be an international support group for writers' poor abused protagonists, eh?
March 18, 2011
June and Metias
So I was thinking about how to talk about LEGEND without giving away the plot....and my solution is to draw little sketch mini-scenes from the book. :) Today's vignette: June (LEGEND's main girl protagonist) is bugging her older brother Metias. Metias is not amused. I'll be posting more of these!
See it on deviantArt
See it on deviantArt
March 11, 2011
Thoughts for Japan
February 25, 2011
Interview and more foreign deals
(Reposted from my deviantArt blog)
Just a few Legend updates!
I recently did an interview (with the lovely Christine Donatello) for ScienceFiction.com about Legend. Now it's live! You can check it out at the link below:
Interview with ScienceFiction.com
Also, Penguin's foreign rights team has now brought the total of Legend's foreign rights deals up to 6! We recently sold Italian, Greek, and Hebrew rights. This means Legend has sold rights for:
- UK
- Australia/New Zealand
- Italy
- Spain/Catalan
- France
- Germany
- Hebrew
I think those are all the ones, although I might be forgetting one.....
Anyway, have a great weekend, guys!
Just a few Legend updates!
I recently did an interview (with the lovely Christine Donatello) for ScienceFiction.com about Legend. Now it's live! You can check it out at the link below:
Interview with ScienceFiction.com
Also, Penguin's foreign rights team has now brought the total of Legend's foreign rights deals up to 6! We recently sold Italian, Greek, and Hebrew rights. This means Legend has sold rights for:
- UK
- Australia/New Zealand
- Italy
- Spain/Catalan
- France
- Germany
- Hebrew
I think those are all the ones, although I might be forgetting one.....
Anyway, have a great weekend, guys!
February 14, 2011
Squeeing in Times Square
Okay, I've been wondering whether or not I should post this on my blog--because it's just so bizarre and out-there (in a wonderful way) that I almost wanted to keep it to myself for a while. But Agent Kristin has blogged about it already, so I'm giddy to share it here too!
Film Agent Kassie let me know last Friday that news about LEGEND's movie deal hit Times Square! I think it was rotating in the square on last Friday, although I can't be sure. (I'm also not entirely sure who took the photo, but to Ms. PhotoTaker--I send you much love!) It's jarring and shriek-inducing to think that my head was three stories tall in NYC....I hope I wasn't too pixelated. :)
Film Agent Kassie let me know last Friday that news about LEGEND's movie deal hit Times Square! I think it was rotating in the square on last Friday, although I can't be sure. (I'm also not entirely sure who took the photo, but to Ms. PhotoTaker--I send you much love!) It's jarring and shriek-inducing to think that my head was three stories tall in NYC....I hope I wasn't too pixelated. :)
February 4, 2011
Big news! LEGEND's movie rights have sold!
There are some things that I always dreamt about, like finally being able to get a book deal. THEN there are the things that are so crazy I didn't even know to dream about them:
CBS Films has bought the movie rights to Legend, with Temple Hill's Wyck Godfrey and Marty Bowen (Twilight Saga, Nativity Story, Dear John) to produce! My amazing book and film agents, Kristin Nelson (NLA) and Kassie Evashevski (UTA) brokered the deal. I love them with the intensity of a thousand suns!!
Deadline's news article about it: "CBS Films Makes Franchise Play With Marie Lu Novel 'Legend'"
And here's CBS Films' press release about it:
---
CBS FILMS ACQUIRES MARIE LU'S FORTHCOMING NOVEL
LEGEND
TEMPLE HILL'S MARTY BOWEN AND WYCK GODFREY TO PRODUCE
LOS ANGELES – February 4, 2011 – CBS Films today announced that the company has secured exclusive rights to Marie Lu's futuristic thriller Legend. Penguin Group has set the first novel in the series for publication in November 2011. Marty Bowen and Wyck Godfrey (The Twilight Saga, Dear John) will develop and produce.
In a dark future, North America has split into two warring nations. The story follows Day, a young Robin Hood, and June, the teen prodigy hired to hunt him down; together they uncover an impossible truth about their totalitarian leaders. The adventure that follows will become Legend.
"The character of Day, a roguish teen outlaw on the run, has been in my head since high school. One night, I was watching an old time detective movie on TV when the idea of Day vs. the gifted teen June came to me," said Lu. "I'm beyond thrilled about CBS Films' support for Legend, and the instant I spoke with Temple Hill I could tell that they really got the characters and the story. It couldn't be in better hands. I can't wait to see what they have in store."
Lu has planned the series as a trilogy and will be involved on the scripting phase as an Executive Producer. Temple Hill exec Isaac Klausner brought Legend to the attention of Godfrey and Bowen. Godfrey said, "Marie's book struck me first as a Dickens story by way of Ray Bradbury. It's both gothic epic romance and vivid science fiction. It will make a stunning movie."
"I have known Marty and Wyck for years, and have been eager to bring them to CBS Films. They have proven to have a great instinct for intellectual properties that have both emotional resonance and commercial potential," commented CBS Films President and CEO, Amy Baer.
"In Legend, Lu has created an expansive world with franchise potential," added CBS Films COO, Wolfgang Hammer who, in his first deal, moved quickly to pre-empt the book. He continued, "This project is a perfect example of theatrical content with dynamic digital possibilities that CBS Films is now focusing on."
Senior Vice President of Production Maria Faillace and Creative Executive Ryan Conroy will oversee the project for CBS Films. CBS Films has rights to the entire trilogy as well as any sequels and spinoffs. Lu, Bowen and Godfrey are represented by UTA.
---
I'm over the moon with excitement. The Temple Hill guys are incredibly nice and very excited, and I'm beyond thrilled with CBS Films's support. Of course, now I'm just surfing the net giddily looking for photos of actors that could play Day or June. Not my most productive morning....but I'm ok with that. :)
CBS Films has bought the movie rights to Legend, with Temple Hill's Wyck Godfrey and Marty Bowen (Twilight Saga, Nativity Story, Dear John) to produce! My amazing book and film agents, Kristin Nelson (NLA) and Kassie Evashevski (UTA) brokered the deal. I love them with the intensity of a thousand suns!!
Deadline's news article about it: "CBS Films Makes Franchise Play With Marie Lu Novel 'Legend'"
And here's CBS Films' press release about it:
---
CBS FILMS ACQUIRES MARIE LU'S FORTHCOMING NOVEL
LEGEND
TEMPLE HILL'S MARTY BOWEN AND WYCK GODFREY TO PRODUCE
LOS ANGELES – February 4, 2011 – CBS Films today announced that the company has secured exclusive rights to Marie Lu's futuristic thriller Legend. Penguin Group has set the first novel in the series for publication in November 2011. Marty Bowen and Wyck Godfrey (The Twilight Saga, Dear John) will develop and produce.
In a dark future, North America has split into two warring nations. The story follows Day, a young Robin Hood, and June, the teen prodigy hired to hunt him down; together they uncover an impossible truth about their totalitarian leaders. The adventure that follows will become Legend.
"The character of Day, a roguish teen outlaw on the run, has been in my head since high school. One night, I was watching an old time detective movie on TV when the idea of Day vs. the gifted teen June came to me," said Lu. "I'm beyond thrilled about CBS Films' support for Legend, and the instant I spoke with Temple Hill I could tell that they really got the characters and the story. It couldn't be in better hands. I can't wait to see what they have in store."
Lu has planned the series as a trilogy and will be involved on the scripting phase as an Executive Producer. Temple Hill exec Isaac Klausner brought Legend to the attention of Godfrey and Bowen. Godfrey said, "Marie's book struck me first as a Dickens story by way of Ray Bradbury. It's both gothic epic romance and vivid science fiction. It will make a stunning movie."
"I have known Marty and Wyck for years, and have been eager to bring them to CBS Films. They have proven to have a great instinct for intellectual properties that have both emotional resonance and commercial potential," commented CBS Films President and CEO, Amy Baer.
"In Legend, Lu has created an expansive world with franchise potential," added CBS Films COO, Wolfgang Hammer who, in his first deal, moved quickly to pre-empt the book. He continued, "This project is a perfect example of theatrical content with dynamic digital possibilities that CBS Films is now focusing on."
Senior Vice President of Production Maria Faillace and Creative Executive Ryan Conroy will oversee the project for CBS Films. CBS Films has rights to the entire trilogy as well as any sequels and spinoffs. Lu, Bowen and Godfrey are represented by UTA.
---
I'm over the moon with excitement. The Temple Hill guys are incredibly nice and very excited, and I'm beyond thrilled with CBS Films's support. Of course, now I'm just surfing the net giddily looking for photos of actors that could play Day or June. Not my most productive morning....but I'm ok with that. :)
February 3, 2011
Legend 2 is done (well, sort of)
Clocking in at just over 81,500 words, Legend 2 is finally done. Well, almost. What I've finished is a first draft, and I already know that there are going to be oodles of rewrites ahead. But I managed to at least finish my first sequel to something--however bad it might currently be. I'll take that as a win. :) Now it's time to clear my brain of LEGEND-ish stuff for a bit, read some other books (DELIRIUM by Lauren Oliver came out yesterday, so that's the first one I'm tackling) and soak in some sights other than the white canvas of Word. Woot!
I have some other exciting news to share too, but that will have to wait for the next day or three.... :)
I have some other exciting news to share too, but that will have to wait for the next day or three.... :)
January 25, 2011
Congrats to Across The Universe!
MATCHED is still on the NYT list (#8), and now I just noticed that ACROSS THE UNIVERSE has made it too (#7)! Hugely excited to see dystopian books on the bestseller lists, and many congrats to Penguin family Beth Revis and Ally Condie. Both are just fantastic novels. Pick them up if you haven't had a chance to!
January 8, 2011
The Great Pizza Debacle
This actually happened over a year ago, but it's quite literally the world's greatest accidental pizza ordering prank. I do not recommend repeating this, unless you want your local pizza delivery spot to hate you forever. Still, I wanted to record this somewhere, and thought it might make a nice 2011 entry!
(Scene. Boyfriend, me, 3 of boyfriend's cousins, numbered as Cousin #1, 2, and 3. Living room of our apartment. Cousins have been to our apartment several times before. UFC is on in a few minutes.)
Boyfriend and me: What does everyone want to order?
Cousins: Pizza.
Boyfriend and me: Well, you guys can go ahead and order. We're going to pick up a sandwich instead--but we'll be back soon. You guys want Pizza Hut or Round Table Pizza?
Cousin #1: Probably Pizza Hut. I'll look up where they are.
Me: Okay. (shuffling around in bedroom, changing, getting ready, going in and out of room)
Cousin #1: Hey, what's the address?
Me: Lemme look it up. (looks up Pizza Hut address in bedroom) 777 South Arroyo Parkway.
Cousin #1: K thanks. (several minutes later) Phone number?
Me: (looks up Pizza Hut number) (area code)-792-2800.
Cousin #1: K thanks.
(Boyfriend and I leave to get our sandwiches, secure in the knowledge that Cousins are happily ordering their favorite pizzas. Boyfriend and I return with our sandwiches. UFC starts.)
Boyfriend and I: (munch munch munch. Cousins watch UFC, occasionally looking over at our sandwiches with envy.)
(An hour and a half passes since they ordered)
Boyfriend: Hey, is your pizza coming anytime soon?
Me: Yeah, it's been like an hour and a half.
Cousin #2: I'll call them and check.
(While Cousin #2 is on the phone)
Me: Did you give them our address?
Cousin #1: Yeah. 777 South Arroyo Parkway.
Me: Heh? That's not our address. That's Pizza Hut's address.
Cousin #1: What?
Me: That's Pizza Hut's address. I thought you were asking me so you could go pick it up if you wanted.
(at this point, Cousin #3 falls over laughing. He has caught on before any of us)
Cousin #1: Cousin #2, get off the phone! (Cousin #2 hangs up on pizza guy) Wait. Why would you give me Pizza Hut's address? I was asking for yours!
Me: You said 'What's the address?' right after you said you were going to order from Pizza Hut, and I thought you'd been here enough times that maybe you didn't need ours!
Boyfriend: Wait, so the Pizza Hut delivery guy couldn't tell that you gave them the address to their own store? What, did the delivery boy just go out and then realize he looped right back around to deliver pizzas to their own store?
Cousin #1: What are you talking about? We didn't order from Pizza Hut. We changed our minds while you were gone and ordered from Round Table..... OH snap. (realization hits us all, except Cousin #3, who already got it)
Me: So Round Table delivered their pizza to Pizza Hut?
(silence)
All: OMG.
Me: Wait, but shouldn't they have given you, Cousin #1, a call when the pizza got delivered to Pizza Hut?? I mean, didn't you have to give them your phone number?
Cousin #1: No, I gave them the number you gave me, so that they could call you guys at home when it was ready. Cousin #2, what's the number?
Cousin #2: Uh, it was (area code)-792-2800.
Me: THAT WAS THE PIZZA HUT NUMBER!!!
Cousin #1: What! WHY WOULD YOU GIVE ME THAT!
Me: I thought you were ordering Pizza Hut pizza, so I gave you their number!!
Boyfriend: So now Round Table can't even trace who made the call? Because they call that number and get Pizza Hut?
Cousin #3: Omg. We made Round Table deliver their pizzas to Pizza Hut. This is the greatest accidental pizza delivery prank ever.
(We die laughing at the mental image of the poor Round Table delivery boy delivering pizzas to Pizza Hut, getting there confused, calling the number he got from us, but only to receive Pizza Hut on the line. And picturing the following conversation:
Pizza Hut: Pizza Hut, can I take your order?
Round Table delivery boy: Uh....no, but I have your order....
)
Cousin #1 did give Round Table my boyfriend's name when he was ordering, so now we are permanently afraid to ever call Round Table to deliver pizzas again. But it made for a good laugh. :)
(Scene. Boyfriend, me, 3 of boyfriend's cousins, numbered as Cousin #1, 2, and 3. Living room of our apartment. Cousins have been to our apartment several times before. UFC is on in a few minutes.)
Boyfriend and me: What does everyone want to order?
Cousins: Pizza.
Boyfriend and me: Well, you guys can go ahead and order. We're going to pick up a sandwich instead--but we'll be back soon. You guys want Pizza Hut or Round Table Pizza?
Cousin #1: Probably Pizza Hut. I'll look up where they are.
Me: Okay. (shuffling around in bedroom, changing, getting ready, going in and out of room)
Cousin #1: Hey, what's the address?
Me: Lemme look it up. (looks up Pizza Hut address in bedroom) 777 South Arroyo Parkway.
Cousin #1: K thanks. (several minutes later) Phone number?
Me: (looks up Pizza Hut number) (area code)-792-2800.
Cousin #1: K thanks.
(Boyfriend and I leave to get our sandwiches, secure in the knowledge that Cousins are happily ordering their favorite pizzas. Boyfriend and I return with our sandwiches. UFC starts.)
Boyfriend and I: (munch munch munch. Cousins watch UFC, occasionally looking over at our sandwiches with envy.)
(An hour and a half passes since they ordered)
Boyfriend: Hey, is your pizza coming anytime soon?
Me: Yeah, it's been like an hour and a half.
Cousin #2: I'll call them and check.
(While Cousin #2 is on the phone)
Me: Did you give them our address?
Cousin #1: Yeah. 777 South Arroyo Parkway.
Me: Heh? That's not our address. That's Pizza Hut's address.
Cousin #1: What?
Me: That's Pizza Hut's address. I thought you were asking me so you could go pick it up if you wanted.
(at this point, Cousin #3 falls over laughing. He has caught on before any of us)
Cousin #1: Cousin #2, get off the phone! (Cousin #2 hangs up on pizza guy) Wait. Why would you give me Pizza Hut's address? I was asking for yours!
Me: You said 'What's the address?' right after you said you were going to order from Pizza Hut, and I thought you'd been here enough times that maybe you didn't need ours!
Boyfriend: Wait, so the Pizza Hut delivery guy couldn't tell that you gave them the address to their own store? What, did the delivery boy just go out and then realize he looped right back around to deliver pizzas to their own store?
Cousin #1: What are you talking about? We didn't order from Pizza Hut. We changed our minds while you were gone and ordered from Round Table..... OH snap. (realization hits us all, except Cousin #3, who already got it)
Me: So Round Table delivered their pizza to Pizza Hut?
(silence)
All: OMG.
Me: Wait, but shouldn't they have given you, Cousin #1, a call when the pizza got delivered to Pizza Hut?? I mean, didn't you have to give them your phone number?
Cousin #1: No, I gave them the number you gave me, so that they could call you guys at home when it was ready. Cousin #2, what's the number?
Cousin #2: Uh, it was (area code)-792-2800.
Me: THAT WAS THE PIZZA HUT NUMBER!!!
Cousin #1: What! WHY WOULD YOU GIVE ME THAT!
Me: I thought you were ordering Pizza Hut pizza, so I gave you their number!!
Boyfriend: So now Round Table can't even trace who made the call? Because they call that number and get Pizza Hut?
Cousin #3: Omg. We made Round Table deliver their pizzas to Pizza Hut. This is the greatest accidental pizza delivery prank ever.
(We die laughing at the mental image of the poor Round Table delivery boy delivering pizzas to Pizza Hut, getting there confused, calling the number he got from us, but only to receive Pizza Hut on the line. And picturing the following conversation:
Pizza Hut: Pizza Hut, can I take your order?
Round Table delivery boy: Uh....no, but I have your order....
)
Cousin #1 did give Round Table my boyfriend's name when he was ordering, so now we are permanently afraid to ever call Round Table to deliver pizzas again. But it made for a good laugh. :)
