Hollywood producer Richard Finney (Carver, The 8th Plague) has purchased the film rights to Ray Garton‘s irreverent religious horror novella “Graven Image.” Finney will work with his director of development, Dean Loftis, and Garton to expand the novella’s premise into a film franchise, with plans to shoot the first in the series by the end of 2008. Literary agent Richard Curtis handled the deal for Garton.
The story “centers on a graphic designer named Hal Dillon whose real passion is collecting strange pieces of art. In a curio shop he finds a bizarre crucifix that depicts a Christ figure looking more monstrous than serene. Hal buys the crucifix and takes it home, causing his life and the lives of everyone he’s associated with to be turned into a living nightmare.”
“The concept is edgy and will no doubt be a bit controversial,” said Finney, “but the story is brimming with an appealing mix of other elements, such as humor, despair, love, and betrayal. And of course, it’ll have plenty of gore.”
Finney’s recent science fiction/horror script Vampire Apocalypse (written with Carver writer/director Franklin Guerrero Jr., and based on the book by Derek Gunn) was optioned by producer Robert Lawrence. Finney is also producing a prequel to Carver entitled Carver: A Family Portrait, and will begin shooting this summer. In other related news, Finney, along with producer John Thompson—through their production company Finney/Thompson Entertainment—will be working with comic book company Ape Entertainment on a three-part science fiction comic book series entitled The Wind Raider (the comic books are being written by Finney and Loftis). The comic series will launch this summer with a “preview” issue of the series available during this year’s San Diego Comic Convention.