The movie version of "Night Watch" came out last summer to a lavish advertising campaign. The publicity for the movie continues to benefit Lukyanenko, as new editions of his novels come out seemingly every month. A Russian-language sequel to the movie is set to be released this autumn, and now the author has signed a contract with the Hollywood studio 20th Century Fox to write the script for an English-language prequel. This movie will be based on the author's 2004 novel "Dusk Watch."
Rumors are that the English-language film will not be a B movie, as some might have expected. Gazeta.ru has reported that the budget will be between $80 million and $100 million, which excludes the possibility of Russian actors being cast in the lead roles, since such a decision would not be good for the box office. One of the most outlandish pieces of gossip surrounding the project, launched by producer Konstantin Ernst, is that Brad Pitt will play the vampire fighter Anton Gorodetsky, a role played convincingly by Konstantin Khabensky in the Russian film.
Lukyanenko triumphantly informed his fans of the Hollywood deal earlier this month in his blog. Using the nickname Doctor Livsy, he publishes his current work online, chapter by chapter, inviting readers to offer their criticism or new ideas. His project is, of course, a fantasy novel. While not directly connected with the "Watch" trilogy, it treads the same waters. Each chapter gets about 500 comments. The author, who often replies to the comments, has hinted that they do not directly influence his work, but they give him a general sense of his fans' preferences.
Although "Night Watch" the movie won plaudits for its sophisticated special effects, readers of the book complained that the film only used a third of the novel, leading to gaping plot holes. Still, some applauded the film's ironic style, which was quite different from Lukyanenko's dead-serious prose. It remains to be seen how his writing will adapt to Hollywood.
The writer is the toast of Russian professional circles. Two weeks ago, he was the star of "Roscon," the annual convention of science fiction and fantasy writers in the Moscow region. Predictably, he was awarded the title of "Fantasy Writer of the Year." If you are looking for a man who has achieved his dreams, look no further.
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