Suspense Thriller 'What if...?' Movie Rights Deal

Yorkshire, England (PRWEB) March 27, 2008 -- One of the giants of the entertainment production industry in Europe has approached British writer Steve N. Lee about adapting his suspense thriller, 'What if...?', for the screen.

Set against the backdrop of the U.S. presidential election, 'What if...?' follows two people's life and death struggle to bring ecological and humanitarian change to the world, one of them seeming to possess the power to heal, while those in control - the U.S. administration, corporate America, organized crime - fight to stop them. (Further information is available at http://www.steve-n-lee.com.)

Lee was oblivious to the interest in his work until he received a phone call on March 24th requesting that he send a treatment (breakdown) of 'What if...?' to the company for an assessment of an adaptation's viability.

Lee says, "After struggling for recognition as a writer for all these years, to get a phone call out of the blue like this is absolutely incredible."

At such a sensitive stage in these developments, the only information available for public release about the European company is that while it may not be a household name, its productions are successes around the globe.

While the book's storyline incorporates all the traditional thriller elements - shootouts, car chases, double crosses - integral to the story is an exploration of environmental, conservation and human rights issues.

"There's enough action and intrigue to satisfy thriller fans totally, but I wanted to delve deeper for something extra, to give the book real heart," says Lee. "I found that through exploring today's humanitarian and ecological issues. Mainstream entertainment rarely features such things so it'll add tremendous depth to the movie. It's this, plus the fact it's set in election year, that has hooked people's interests."

It is too early to speculate whether the movie would be shot in the U.S. or, if financed by European money, whether it might be transposed to one of Europe's major capitals.

Lee says, "I'll push for the U.S.. The story is specific to America and American culture so to change the setting would involve major work. That said, if there're valid reasons for switching locations that aren't only financial, and it won't adversely impact on the story, then I'm prepared to consider alternatives."

As developments unfold, news updates will be available at http://www.lionsledbysheep.com.

Steve N. Lee is author of eco-blog Lions led by Sheep (http://www.lionsledbysheep.com) and suspense thriller 'What if...?', published by Blue Zoo. Media information, plus further details about his writing, can be found at http://www.steve-n-lee.com.

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