The Kaiju Preservation Society Optioned For Television
Posted on January 12, 2022 Posted by John Scalzi 27 Comments
If for some reason you can’t see/read the photo above, this is what it says:
John Scalzi’s THE KAIJU PRESERVATION SOCIETY, where, on a parallel earth, kaiju — the massive Godzilla-esque monsters of Japanese film lore — roam free; after humans discover entry into this universe (via tearing open the space-time continuum with nuclear explosions), scientists work to study and protect the gargantuan beasts… while others look to exploit them, optioned to Fox Entertainment, by Joel Gotler at IPG (world).
So, yeah, that’s pretty nice. It’s lovely to have the book optioned well in advance of its publication; that’s a fabulous vote of confidence.
I should note that at this point the answer to nearly any question you might ask about the TV version of the book is “That’s a great question, I have no idea, I guess we will have to see.” It’s very very very early days for what’s going on with this book and its possible television counterpart (again, the book itself has yet to even hit bookstores). Also remember that “optioned” doesn’t mean “showing on your TV right NOW”; there’s lots of opportunities for the project to fall down. That said, I’ve met the network folks, and they are great. I’m feeling as optimistic as one can be this early stage of things.
More news when it happens. And until then: Hey! My book’s been optioned. I’m happy.
— JS
Does this potentially make Jamie Gray a Disney Princess, or is this the part of Fox that Disney didn’t buy?
Given your literary stature, do you have any input into who you’d like to have cast in a given role?
If the show is half as entertaining as the book was then I know I’ll be watching it when they make it.
Congratulations! I hope I will be able to watch it some day.
How does pay for something like this work? I’d guess it’s a smaller amount to reserve the right to use it and a larger amount if they actually do, but I’m not sure.
Congratulations!
That is fantastic news! .
Congratulations, John! I’m sure that this early confidence in a book that hasn’t been published yet is based on your amazing and wonderfully entertaining body of work. They obviously believe in you…as do your reading fans. Hope this comes to fruition in the end. It would be their mistake and loss if it doesn’t.
You’ve done it again, Johnny! Congrats!
This just has me wondering what’s going on with Netflix’s Old Man’s War adaptation. Feels like that was optioned years ago at this point and I’ve heard…. Nothing!
@Nightshade1972: For anyone of lesser literary stature than J. K. Rowling, the answer to that is pretty much always “no”.
How long do options usually run for? I know that “option” is step 1 of an umpty-hundred step process from you cash a check to someone sees it on a screen of some sort. I also know that you can option a property multiple times so long as no one else has the option rights.
A related question is: how much more does one get over teh option check if the piece actually sees production? Is it better for you to farm periodic options over getting it produced (from a strictly monetary if not ego standpoint)?
Does that means some seriously big sacks of money coming your way? Because that’s usually what’s best about options: No work + Big sacks of money. And if the project falls through, there’s always a chance someone else with a big sack of money will pick up the option!
Congratulations !
And now to the vital questions . . .
Will you be touring doing signings for the book ?
If so, do you have the schedule yet ?
If so, what is the schedule ?
Congratulations!
As for questions, the only one I have is whether you will point me to where I can watch it if/when it comes out and the answer, I presume, is yes, you will.
Fantastic news! Congratulations!
It’s funny, I placed the preorder without reading the description that’s in place on amazon now so this was more than I already knew about the book :)
We want Scalzis to make “Stan Lee” type appearances.
Stylishly dressed Krissy and Athena walking Charlie. Or maybe without Charlie.
Athena playing the overly smart young women, with a great insight. Athena gets her Screen Actors Guild Membership.
John holding a cat in one out stretched hand on a soap box, saying something. Being ignored by passers by.
Or playing that 5 neck guitar, which sounds impossible good. He will be overdubbed.
John, wearing a red shirt, getting killed.
John eating a burrito.
No acting class for any one!
Well if the past performance of Fox scifi shows is any indication, we will get one season of a good show and then it will be cancelled.
Awesome! Glad your career continues to fail in an upward direction ;) (snark if not obvious).
It’s a bit “of the moment” in the book, not sure if that helps or hinders getting to screen quick – though the central conceit is independent of covid. Yay giant endangered creatures in scenic locations just outside Vancouver!!
Wow!!!
That’s fantastic, Scalzi. Congrats. Cross fingers for green lighting.
mazel tov
quick! cash the check! before the studio gets gobbled by a bigger fish… and the new executives need to establish dominance by pissing upon — passing upon — everything the old executives had touched
which seems to be standardized Hollywood policy
Q: too late to insert clause that you get a walk-on part with a single sentence so you can humble-brag about yet another career?
Could you post a Whatever piece on the full process? Option, (lots of things), pilot or movie. From the outside it is pretty opaque.
And the comment above about Scalzi cameos is gold. That needs to happen in all the Scalziverse movies. Which means we need a Scalziverse.
Congrats, John. That book is entertaining, so yay!
John, I look forward to any and all of your work that has or may, in the future, make its way to screens big and small. I’ve been a longtime fan and enjoy the heck out of all the stuff you’ve written.
Okay so much for slobbering fanboy.
Congratulations on the opportunity.
Ever considered producing one of these works for TV or Movies?
Conga-rats! That’s fantastic! 😜
Awesome and congratulations! Our family loves all things Godzilla. Excited for you!