“Remarkable Creatures” bestseller to get film treatment

June 27, 2017 - 12:29 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - Tracy Chevalier’s historical drama “Remarkable Creatures” is in development as a movie at Resonate Entertainment, a new production company formed by Susan Cartsonis, Suzanne Farwell, and Brent Emery, Variety has learned exclusively.

“Tracy is a brilliant storyteller and tremendous talent,” Cartsonis said. “We couldn’t be more thrilled to bring her into our Resonate family. We created this new company to develop and produce complex and interesting female characters and ‘Remarkable Creatures’ embodies that idea.”

“Remarkable Creatures” is set against the dramatic landscape of the English coastal town of Lyme-Regis and centers on two female 19th century fossil hunters who make significant discoveries that changed the scientific world forever. The story reveals invisible women in science who were influential but marginalized and whose accomplishments were appropriated by men.

“The themes that the book explores of gender, class, female friendship and scientific discovery could not be more timely,” said Farwell. “Female scientists have been left out of the history books and Tracy Chevalier has brought these two remarkable women back to life in her wonderful book.”

“Remarkable Creatures” was published in 2009 and became a New York Times bestseller. Chevalier also wrote “Girl With a Pearl Earring,” which was adapted as a 2003 film starring Scarlett Johansson and Colin Firth.

“I’m thrilled that ‘Remarkable Creatures’ is coming to the big screen,” said Chevalier. “I’ve always said I wrote the book to make fossils sexy. Now they will get their moment in the movies. And given the recent box-office success of ‘Hidden Figures,’ we know there’s a hunger for smart movies about smart women.”

Cartsonis produced “What Women Want.” Farwell produced “The Intern” and Emery produced “The Stanford Prison Experiment.”

The deal was negotiated on behalf of Chevalier by Luke Speed at Curtis Brown U.K. and by Shannon Hensley at Abrams Garfinkel Margolis Bergson on behalf of the filmmakers.