Reuters
reports that Fox 2000 has won a battle with Warner Bros., Universal and Paramount for the film rights to Sara Gruen's bestseller
Water for Elephants.
The book centers on a 90-year-old man reminiscing about his time at a B-level circus taking care of the animals. He sees the brutality of circus life while falling for the wife of an abusive animal trainer.
The book spent 12 weeks on the New York Times best-seller list in 2006 and hit the list again last year when it was released in paperback. More than 2 million paperbacks have been sold, according to the studio.
Francis Lawrence will direct the film and Richard LaGravenese will write the screenplay. Stephen King's
review of
Water for Elephants gives you an idea of why it might work well on the big screen. King says, "For pure story, this colorful, headlong tale of a Depression-era circus simply can't be beat. Heroes, villains, romance, a wild-animal stampede! Big fun from page 1."
