The 39 Clues series will be a big hit with the kids. At least that’s what the publishers keep telling us.
According to Variety, Jeff Nathanson is set to adapt the first film based on Scholastic Media’s new 39 Clues series. Steven Spielberg may direct the Dreamworks production.
The series revolves around the adventures of the Cahill family, the “most powerful family the world has ever known.” Family members must find the clues that are the secret behind their power. Ten books are proposed, with one clue being revealed in each book. The other 29 clues will be found by kids playing the accompanying online game. The books will each feature a famous person from history, just so they can also be called educational. The first book, Maze of Bones, will be out next week. There was an article about the series and the author of the first book, Rick Riordan, in Tuesday’s NY Times, if you’d like more details about it.
The series is Scholastic’s attempt to fill the void left by the now finished Harry Potter series. No doubt DreamWorks hope this will be the basis of a Harry Potter like successful film franchise. Good luck.
Nathanson and Spielberg have worked together before, on The Terminal, Catch Me if You Can, and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Nathanson also wrote Rush Hour 2 and wrote and directed Rush Hour 3. Well, he seems harmless enough.
There’s no way to predict how these books or the prospective movies will do as they’re not out yet. But I do know that often these things that are created by marketers and analyzed, targeted, and planned to death miss the boat completely with kids.
