MGM Television snaps up Colfer's 'Highfire'

MGM Television has bought the rights for Eoin Colfer’s first fantasy novel for adults, Highfire (Jo Fletcher Books).

The deal was negotiated by Emily Hayward Whitlock of the Artists Partnership and Sophie Hicks of the Sophie Hicks Agency. The Highfire book is out on 28th January 2020.

Its synopsis states: “Once upon a time, dragons ruled the earth and Lord Highfire ruled the dragons from his eyrie.  But this is not once upon a time, this is now, and now all Lord Highfire rules is his mangrove shack in Louisiana’s Honey Island Swamp.  Highfire has become plain old ‘Vern’ and, by day, he hides out among the alligators, watches cable-TV and drinks obscene amounts of vodka to pass the time.  It isn’t much of a life but he’s alive to live it, and Vern is prepared do whatever it takes – even if its violent – to preserve his own hide.  When Vern’s world collides with a human teen named Squib, who becomes mixed up in some trouble while running booze for the local mob, their mutual struggle for survival becomes entangled in the most unlikely of friendships.”

Highfire joins MGM’s stable of scripted projects including “Fargo”, “The Handmaid’s Tale” and “Four Weddings and a Funeral”.

Steve Stark, MGM president of television production, said “Eoin Colfer is a master storyteller. He reinvented the modern fairytale with his subversive Artemis Fowl series, which continues to captivate children around the globe with its humour, intelligence and above all, fantastic characters. When MGM’s Andrew Mittman heard his next novel was going to be targeted to adult audiences, we jumped at the opportunity to option the rights and sink our teeth into adapting this project together.”

Colfer added: “MGM’s history of championing storytellers and pushing creative boundaries was incredibly appealing to me, and I knew Highfire would be in good hands with Steve and his fantastic team. I look forward to working together and exploring the possibilities of bringing this story from the page to the screen.”