20th Century Studios is developing a feature adaptation of the “Choose Your Own Adventure” book series with Radio Silence, the duo behind the “Ready or Not” franchise, set to direct.
“Andor” writer Tom Bissell will adapt the script from the book series of the same name.
According to the publisher, “Choose Your Own Adventure” gamebooks began life in 1979 as the first publishing effort of a new division at Bantam Books focused on younger readers. The series of interactive books initially had only so-so sales, until some genius in marketing had the idea to “seed” 100,000 books in libraries across the country. Overnight, the books became hugely popular.
Between 1979-1999, the series sold over 250 million copies worldwide and was translated into 38 languages. The original “classic” series contained 184 gamebooks authored by 30 different writers. The books were set in locations around the globe, in outer space, under the sea and in a number of distinctly imagined fantasy worlds.
Over the course of its publication, “Choose Your Own Adventure” featured every known literary genre. The last new title in the original series was released by Bantam (which had by then become a division of Random House) in 1998.
The series is currently published by independent publishing company, Chooseco LLC, of Waitsfield, Vermont, founded in 2003 by author and series founder R. A. Montgomery and his wife, author Shannon Gilligan.
Radio Silence most recently directed “Ready or Not 2,” starring Samara Weaving. Next up, they are set to direct a new installment in “The Mummy” franchise for Universal, with original franchise stars Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz returning.
Bissell is a prolific, award-winning writer working across TV, film, books, journalism and video games. On the screenwriting front, Bissell co-created the Apple TV+ series, “The Mosquito Coast,” which ran for two seasons, and most recently received a WGA Award nomination for his work on the second season of “Andor,” for which he wrote the final three episodes. Bissell’s video game work includes the fourth and fifth installments of “Gears of War,” as well as “Uncharted 4,” for which he won a WGA Award.
Radio Silence is repped by CAA, Brillstein Entertainment Partners, and Johnson Shapiro Slewett & Kole. Bissell is repped by CAA, Entertainment 360 and Yorn Levine.
Deadline first reported the news.
