Joe Kosinski will follow ‘Tron’ with ‘Oblivion’
Radical Publishing has made inroads in the comic book field with series including “Hercules,” “Shrapnel” and “The Last Days of American Crime.” It also has made Hollywood connections, as several properties have been optioned for film. In 2011, it will expand into illustrated novels with “Oblivion,” based on a science-fiction idea from “Tron: Legacy” director Joe Kosinski.
“Rex Mundi” writer Arvid Nelson writes a science-fiction tale in which the Earth’s surface has been irradiated beyond recognition. Civilization is in ruins and under attack from Scavenger aliens. The remnants of humanity primarily live above the clouds. The preview, released at Comic-Con International, introduced Jak, a surface drone repairman who discovers a mysterious woman in a crash-landed pod. According to Radical, in the hardcover “Oblivion” illustrated novel, that discovery will set off a chain of events that will force Jak to question everything he knows.
“The Joe Kosinski project came up about two years ago, just when Joe got the job to do ‘Tron,’” said Barry Levine, president and publisher of Radical. “He pitched me a couple of ideas … this one high concept, I loved it. It was ‘Oblivion.’ About two weeks later, he sent me about five, six pages, and I said, ‘I’m doing it.’”
The illustrated novel, set to be released next summer, already has been optioned by Disney. According to Deadline, William Monahan (“The Departed”) is attached as a screenwriter.
“I was looking to make a science-fiction film that I could do on a budget,” Kosinski said in a news release about the initial concept. “It’s grown since then, but it’s intended to be a very spare science-fiction film, with a small cast but big ideas and big landscapes.”
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