Showtime picked on Bill Clinton and James Peterson’s novel to make it a drama series. Showtime CEO David Nevins broke the news of the project happening over the weekend.
Clinton and Paterson’s novel ‘The President is Missing’ is set to hit the shelves in 2018.
TV deal, done
Showtime is turning ‘The President Is Missing’ into a full-blown ongoing drama series.
“Bringing The President Is Missing to Showtime is a coup of the highest order,” said Showtime president and CEO David Nevins.
“The pairing of President Clinton with fiction’s most gripping storyteller promises a kinetic experience. One that the book world has salivated over for months,” he added.
“And that now will dovetail perfectly into a politically relevant, character-based action series for our network.”
Clinton has written many nonfiction books in the past, but ‘The President Is Missing’ marks his first novel. The book will be published in June 2018.
Reports say the project was hotly sought after by studios and networks, with Clinton and Patterson doing a 16-meeting tour around Hollywood trying to select the right outlet.
CBS chairman and CEO Leslie Moonves — who has a long-standing relationship with both Clinton and Patterson, the latter an executive producer on the CBS drama Zoo, — personally helped make the deal.
Making history
The book was announced earlier this year, marking Clinton’s first novel as well as the first thriller ever co-authored by an American president.
The novel, set to be published in 2018, tells the story of a sitting U.S. president’s mysterious disappearance with the level of detail that only someone who has held the highest office can know.
The 42nd President of the US, Clinton has written bestselling non-fiction books including ‘My Life’, ‘Back to Work: Why We Need Smart Government for a Strong Economy, Between Hope and History’, ‘Giving: How Each of Us Can Change the World’ and ‘Putting People First: How We Can All Change America’.
Patterson currently holds the Guinness World Record for most No. 1 New York Times bestsellers. Clinton is reportedly a longtime fan of his work.
After the news of the TV deal broke, Clinton and Peterson released a statement.
“I’m really enjoying writing this book and working with Jim,” Clinton said in a statement.
“And I can’t wait to see Showtime bring the characters to life.”
“The White House is such an exciting world to explore and is made even more so with the unique insights of a former President,” said Patterson.
“Rich storytelling opportunities for this series abound.”
Source: Gears of Biz