It’s now official . . . The motion picture and television rights to my debut historical novel NEW YORK 1609 have been optioned for development and production.
LOGLINE: An independent-minded Native American boy battles ambitious explorers, greedy traders, land-hungry settlers, and ruthless officials at the 17th-century birth of New York City.
It took some time to negotiate, but I now have a licensing agreement for the book I spent a year researching and another year writing. This one:
So, in a way, I’ve come around a circle . . . from arriving in New York City on a ship from Germany with my parents in 1953:
To swimming around Manhattan island in 1983:
To starting my writing/publishing career in L.A. around the same time:
To wondering why no one had ever written a story about the very beginnings of New York City and the famous island at its center, and then deciding *I* would do just that. I mean, why not?
To wondering if anyone would be interested in adapting the story to the big or small screen.
To where we are today. Where the producer recently told me that when he discovered my book, he knew he had found the right vehicle to visualize and recreate the NYC history he had become fascinated with.
Of course, this is only an option-purchase agreement. There are still many steps to go before a TV series or movie comes out the other end, and I have no control over those. But I am rooting for the producers all the way! (just not in Australia 😉 As I wrote the book, I was constantly seeing the action playing out in my mind. Yes, it would require period costumes, some creative location scouting, and probably some digital enhancements and effects (e.g., CGI), but in Hollywood, anything is possible.
And although I would have nothing to do with the casting of the characters, I—and you—can have some fun speculating. How about this guy in the role of Henry Hudson, the famous explorer who’s in the story? I hear he’s had some experience in a related role:
For now, I’ll just let you imagine the scene . . .
Manhattan Island, New York City, September 12, 1609 . . .
— Harald
P.S. Happy 4th of July to U.S.ers!
Congratulations. That’s awesome. I hope you have success. You’ve worked hard and appears enjoyed the journey. It’s not over yet, big things to come.
Yep… not over yet. Thank you, Mike!
Soon to be a must in every NYC cinema collection,
prequel to and filling in gaps left by: “The Warriors,” “Escape From New York” and…
Definitely a prequel to those two. Thanks, Mark!
Harald, that’s wonderful!
Hope the rest of its journey goes well.
Thanks, Alicia. Appreciate that from a fellow writer.
Excellent news! I loved the book completely so I cannot wait to see the motion picture. Keep up the great work and hello from Seneca Lake in the Finger Lakes.
Thank you, Gerald. So glad you liked the book. And you’re only ~200 miles from some of the action I write about!