In an effort to try to stay ahead of the next YA craze, producer Scott Steindorff has acquired the feature rights to Origin, a debut novel from 22-year-old author, Jessica Khoury.  The novel centers on Pia, a young heroine created by scientists and gifted with immortality.  On her 17th birthday, Pia escapes the compound in the Amazon jungle and heads off on an adventure with a local village boy, Pio, in search of her true origin. The blend of romance and action should provide a draw to a wide audience with the inevitable water mark set by The Hunger Games.  Hit the jump for more on Origin.

Heat Vision reports that Steindorff will produce the adaptation along with Dylan Russell.  Steindorff previously produced The Lincoln Lawyer and counts Runner, Runner among his current projects.  Look for Khoury's book, Origin, to hit shelves on September 4th.  Check out the book description for Origin (via Amazon):

origin-book-cover

An electrifying action-romance that's as thoughtful as it is tragic

Pia has grown up in a secret laboratory hidden deep in the Amazon rain forest. She was raised by a team of scientists who have created her to be the start of a new immortal race. But on the night of her seventeenth birthday, Pia discovers a hole in the electric fence that surrounds her sterile home--and sneaks outside the compound for the first time in her life.

Free in the jungle, Pia meets Eio, a boy from a nearby village. Together, they embark on a race against time to discover the truth about Pia's origin--a truth with deadly consequences that will change their lives forever.

Origin is a beautifully told, shocking new way to look at an age-old desire: to live forever, no matter the cost.