Before Jurassic World's monster success, before even the iconic Jurassic Park, there was Michael Crichton. The late author might be best known for his 1990 novel that served as inspiration for the blockbuster movie franchise, but his last novel Micro is the latest story to be adapted for the big screen. Completed posthumously by Richard Preston in 2011, the science-fiction novel went on to become a bestseller. Now THR reports that DreamWorks has acquired the rights to the novel with Frank Marshall set to produce.
Micro, as you may have guessed, explores size on the opposite end of the scale from the fan-favorite prehistoric dinosaurs. Perhaps banking on a successful run for Marvel's mini-hero Ant-Man, DreamWorks now looks to tell the tale of a group of graduate students working for a biotech company in Hawaii who find themselves shrunk down to bite-size in what sounds like a more serious take on Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. Abandoned in the rain forest, they must rely on their scientific knowledge and quick-thinking if they hope to survive.
Here's what Sherri Crichton, who will executive produce on behalf of the estate's steward organization CrichtonSun, LLC, had to say about her late husband's novel:
“Michael was exhilarated, passionate and invested in Micro, a story he spent years researching and developing. It was yet another opportunity for him to explore the clash between science and nature, as seen through the eyes of relatable characters. Michael also wrote in cinematic terms and would be so pleased to see Micro come to life on the big screen at DreamWorks.”
Steven Spielberg chimed in as well:
“We are so pleased to have this opportunity to develop Micro. For Michael, size did matter whether it was for Jurassic’s huge dinosaurs or Micro’s infinitely tiny humans.”
I don't know that the humans in Micro were "infinitely tiny" but I haven't read the book. Perhaps the film will also dip into Fantastic Voyage territory as well. Regardless, I get excited any time a Crichton property is getting attention, and DreamWorks apparently feels the same since they've also optioned another of his posthumous publications: the action adventure story, Pirate Latitudes.