Mark Burnell will pen screen adaptation of his spy novel
Sony has picked up the movie rights to “Remote Control,” a spy novel by Mark Burnell, for an adaptation to be produced by James Bond producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli.
Ileen Maisel, a longtime exec who ran Paramount’s London office and recently teamed up with former New Line exec Mark Ordesky to form Amber Entertainment, will also produce.
Wilson and Broccoli aren’t straying far from the Bond reservation, as “Remote” follows a war correspondent-turned-British corporate intelligence analyst who goes on the run with a former lover when he gets caught up in a conspiracy to destabilize the Chinese economy.
Burnell will write the adaptation. The author is perhaps best known for his series of novels featuring heroine Stephanie Patrick, with the first book being set up as a project at New Line.
“Remote” puts Sony back in business with Wilson and Broccoli’s Eon Productions. The company is behind the Bond movie series, which has been largely made with MGM. The last two, “Casino Royale” and “Quantum of Solace,” were made with Sony’s involvement.
Eon, Sony and MGM are also collaborating on a new adaptation of the Roald Dahl book “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.” (The original was produced by Broccoli’s father, Albert R. Broccoli.)
“Remote” will be overseen at Columbia by Doug Belgrad and Elizabeth Cantillon.