‘Breaking Bad’ Writer Set To Pen Universal’s ‘The Red Queen’

‘Breaking Bad’ Writer Set To Pen Universal’s ‘The Red Queen’

Former Breaking Bad writer Gennifer Hutchison has been hired to adapt the teen fantasy novel The Red Queen for Universal Pictures. HarperCollins will publish the book in winter 2015 as one of its top titles through its HarperTeen imprint. HarperCollins confirmed to Deadline that it expects a major marketing push in conjunction with the launch, which will segue well with Uni’s own marketing efforts in this young female-driven film.

The book has been sold into 16 different languages almost a year out from its domestic launch and is the first of a trilogy. Its publisher hopes that it will become another Hunger Games. The Red Queen, written by Victoria Aveyard, centers on a 17-year-old who must save her family in a world “divided by the color of blood,” according to HarperTeen. She must pretend to be a long-lost princess while going undercover to secretly become part of a revolution that pits prince against prince.

Benderspink, which produced the blockbuster franchise The Hangover, has the potential for another blockbuster franchise with The Red Queen. It is the producing the film with Pouya Shahbazian of New Leaf Literary and Media — which reps Aveyard — will produce. Hutchison is the former assistant of Breaking Bad’s creator Vince Gilligan. She is repped by ICM Partners.

Creative exec Sara Scott will oversee the project for Universal.

Deadline.com