Francis Lawrence to Direct RED RISING Sci-Fi Movie Adaptation for Paramount
Francis Lawrence is heading back into the world of rebellion and oppressive societies, but this time, he's taking the fight to Mars. The director behind The Hunger Games franchise has signed on to direct Paramount's film adaptation of Red Rising, based on the bestselling sci-fi novel by Pierce Brown.
Paramount has acquired the film rights to Brown's New York Times bestselling book series, with Lawrence set to direct the first installment. For fans who have been hoping to see this brutal sci-fi universe brought to the big screen, this is some pretty exciting news.
The story follows Darrow, a low-ranking miner known as a "Red" who spends his life working beneath the surface of Mars. He's been led to believe his people are helping make the planet habitable for future generations, but he eventually discovers they've been enslaved by the ruling Gold caste.
After undergoing a physical transformation to pass as one of the elite Golds, Darrow infiltrates their society and becomes involved in a rebellion determined to destroy the color-based hierarchy that controls their world.
It's a story packed with political corruption, brutal competition, betrayal, and revolution, making Lawrence an interesting choice to bring it to life. His experience with The Hunger Games could serve him well in adapting Brown's violent and complex sci-fi universe.
Justin Rhodes, whose credits include Terminator: Dark Fate and Prime Video's animated anthology series Secret Level, has been hired to write the screenplay.
Lawrence has directed five Hunger Games movies, including the upcoming The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, which arrives in theaters on November 20. He's also coming off Lionsgate's adaptation of Stephen King's The Long Walk.
The filmmaker recently struck another deal with Lionsgate for Carry Me to My Grave, a film adaptation of Christopher Golden's horror novel that he's looking to direct and produce.
Meanwhile, Paramount has been building up its slate of book adaptations. The studio is preparing a big-budget adaptation of Tomi Adeyemi's YA fantasy novel Children of Blood and Bone, scheduled for January 15, 2027. It also has Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow arriving November 12, 2027, along with an adaptation of The Midnight Library in development.
There's no release date or casting information for Red Rising yet, but with Paramount backing the project and Lawrence directing, the long-awaited adaptation has taken a significant step forward.
Source: Deadline