Trapeze's 'Calling Major Tom' optioned for film

David M Barnett’s novel Calling Major Tom (Trapeze Books) has been optioned for film by London-based production company Vision3, an outfit known for its 3D filmmaking on projects such as Warner Bro’s "Gravity" and "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them".

Calling Major Tom, published last year, is a feel-good story about an astronaut who has given up on the world, but discovers in the most unlikely way that it might not have given up on him. To date, the book has sold in eight foreign territories including a six-figure German deal. 

Vision3, which has won eight Lumiere Awards from the International Advanced Imaging Society, is now launching a new home for films, as part of which Calling Major Tom will be the first.

The deal optioning film rights was done between Richard King, rights manager of Orion Publishing Group, John Jarrold at the John Jarrold Literary Agency and Adam May, director of production at Vision3.

Barnett, the book's author, described Vision3 as "an innovative, pioneering company with fabulous credentials and a great pedigree in the film world" while King, from Orion, said he was confident that in its hands Calling Major Tom could be "a future classic of British cinema".

May, who is producing the film adaptation, showed his enthusiasm for the book, praising it "an incredibly uplifting and affecting story" that "manages a delicate balance of gripping adventure on a galactic scale with a ground-level story of redemption and hope in modern Britain".

"The film will allow us to continue to showcase the incredible technical talent we have in house, within the context of Drama that we feel will really resonate with audiences," he continued. "We couldn’t be happier to announce Calling Major Tom as the first film in Vision3’s new slate of exciting features."