Michael Crichton’s novel Micro appears to be headed to big screen. DreamWorks Studios has snapped up the rights to the property with Frank Marshall (War Horse) set to produce. Crichton, who wrote the novel for Jurassic Park providing the outline for the massively successful (and still thriving) dino film franchise, passed away in 2008 with Micro left unfinished. The science fiction thriller was eventually completed by author Richard Preston and published by HarperCollins in 2011 where it became a popular bestseller.
Micro centers on a group of graduate students who head to Hawaii to work for a mysterious biotech company. The high concept thriller takes a turn when the students are miniaturized and thrust into the rain forest and have nothing but their wits and scientific know-how to protect them. “We are so pleased to have this opportunity to develop Micro,’ ” commented Steven Spielberg, who had a long-standing relationship with Crichton, including, of course, directing the 1993 visual effects game changer Jurassic Park. “For Michael, size did matter whether it was for Jurassic’s huge dinosaurs or Micro’s infinitely tiny humans.”
The renewed interest in Crichton could certainly be seen as an afterglow effect of the gargantuan current success of Jurassic World. The film, which was directed by Colin Trevorrow and produced by Spielberg, surprised the industry with its massive, record-breaking opening weekend box office take. The film has already taken in over a billion dollars worldwide and is poised any moment now to become the highest grossing domestic seller of 2015. Of course, Crichton’s efforts have always have always piqued interests in Hollywood.
Crichton’s work has been adapted for the screen a whopping 15 times– including The Andromeda Strain (1971), The Great Train Robbery (1978), Rising Sun (1993), Disclosure (1994), Congo (1995), Sphere (1998) and of course Jurassic Park (1993). Crichton also wrote and directed the features Westworld (1973), Coma (1978) and The Great Train Robbery (1978) and co-wrote the screenplay to the 1996 blockbuster Twister (1996) and served as the creator of the long running, Emmy Award winning hospital drama ER.
There’s no word as when Micro might be ready roll or who may become attached to write or direct the title.
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