James Frey Pens Teen Alien Series for HarperCollins
James Frey, the author of the discredited, memoir A Million Little Pieces, is now writing science fiction for young adults. Frey has a cut a deal with HarperCollins to publish a series of four novels starting with I Am Number Four. The series is already a big success bacause the film rights have been purchased by Transformers director Michael Bay. The plot of the series involves a group of teen aliens who are assimilating to high school on Earth.
Early Friday afternoon, the studio completed a deal to purchase pre-emptively the film rights to "I Am Number Four," an unpublished science fiction book, for Bay to produce and possibly direct. It is the first in a planned six-volume series co-written by "A Million Little Pieces" author James Frey.
Neither the studio nor WME, which represents Frey and Bay, would confirm Frey or divulge the name of the other author. The deal is in the high-six figures.
WME began shopping the book's feature and publishing rights early in the week to a number of producers and studios. The agency used a pseudonym for the authors presumably because Frey is notable mainly for his scandal-ridden fudging of facts in his ostensible memoir of addiction and subsequent high-profile dressing down by Oprah Winfrey on her show.
The "Four" story line involves nine alien teens assimilating to high school on Earth after their planet is destroyed by an enemy species. The fourth of the group discovers that the enemy is now after him on Earth.
EW.com says James Frey is writing the teen alien series with debut novelist Jobie Hughes.
