Pierce’s Childhood

I’m excited to write about this story because it’s about one of the few books I’ve ever read being adapted into a screenplay. Kimberly Pierce, who made BOYS DON’T CRY and has the upcoming war drama STOP LOSS on its way, told MTV that she wants her next film to be a version of Sir Arthur C. Clarke’s novel CHILDHOOD’S END. Yep, that’s sci-fi folks! Here’s what she said:

“I love ‘Childhood’s End.’ That’s a phenomenal book,” she enthused. “We have a draft of that and we’ll see if Universal wants to make it.”

The book is considered a masterpiece of the genre, and is about an alien race that descends upon Earth, and rather than destroy it, they end all wars, poverty, hunger and fear, creating a utopia. The catch is they look like Satan, with wings, hooves, horns, everything. Not only that, but they’re extraordinarily secretive, and it’s their secret that drives the story forward.
Pierce thinks that if she were to launch this production, she’ll need a major star to give the studio confidence that this thing will sell:

“If you’re going to launch something that big you need a big movie star. It’s probably not less than a 70 million dollar movie,” Peirce commented. “You go to that movie with a certain appetite for spectacle.”

I don’t agree with this. Every weekend movies featuring major stars flop at the box office. If big stars sell movies, then THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES would’ve been one of this year’s highest earners.