Within days of the New York Times printing Brooke Hauser’s June 22nd article about the International High School in Brooklyn, producers were already fighting to abtain the rights for a film adaptation. Among them, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie were rumored to be opting such a project to Paramount. But, according to Variety, it looks like Miramax has beat the power couple to it.
Hauser’s article, titled “This Strange Thing Called Prom,” follows the adventures surrounding the first prom for a school that teaches to recent immigrants from countries such as Senegal, Venezuela, Tibet, Haiti and Poland. Variety reports that one student was actually a nomadic yak herder until the age of 12. Many of the student’s native languages did not have a word for prom and one Chinese girl reportedly admitted that she would be skipping out on prom, preferring to wait for her college prom.
The Times are on a roll, making This Strange Thing Called Prom the 15th movie option deal in the past two years arising from an article. In regards to payment, the paper splits the money with the writers. The Times is the first publication to take such initiative. Like other such publications, the Times owns the copyright to the content written by its staff.
Recent deals include Paramount and JJ Abrams opting for the article “Mystery on Fifth Avenue,” about a custom-built house with the clues to a mystery incorporated into the architecture. Will Smith and James Lassiter also recently hopped on board, opting for the article “Supplier Under Scrutiny on Aging Arms for Afgans,” about a company in Miami that was given a federal contract to arm the police and army forces of Afganistan. Jack Black and Universal opted for “In College Football Big Paydays for Humiliation,” about a subpar college football team that was paid premiums to play powerhouse programs.
To check out Hauser’s article, click here.