Paramount was involved in two property acquisitions with high-profile producers today:

  • Paramount teamed with J.J. Abrams' Bad Robot to option the nazi hunter spec script Wunderkind, written by Patrick Aison.
  • The studio acquired the screen rights to Libba Bray's upcoming novel The DivinersJosh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage will produce through their Fake Empire banner.

Hit the jump for details on both projects.

Wunderkind

Risky Business provides the logline for Wunderkind:

bad robot wunderkind

"The action/thriller is set in the 1970s and follows two Nazi hunters; one is with the CIA and another works for Israel's Mossad intelligence organization. The two hunters' paths become intertwined---but they only start working together reluctantly."

That's an enticing, cool premise---very appropriate for the Bad Robot development house.  Bryan Burk (Fringe) of Bad Robot will also produce alongside Abrams, Chris Cowles, Chris Fenton, and Brian McCurley.

The Diviners

The Diviners, the first in book in a planned four-part series, is set for publication in September.  Here's the official synopsis:

Evie O'Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City--and she is pos-i-toot-ly thrilled. New York is the city of speakeasies, shopping, and movie palaces! Soon enough, Evie is running with glamorous Ziegfield girls and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is Evie has to live with her Uncle Will, curator of The Museum of American Folklore, Superstition, and the Occult--also known as "The Museum of the Creepy Crawlies."

When a rash of occult-based murders comes to light, Evie and her uncle are right in the thick of the investigation. And through it all, Evie has a secret: a mysterious power that could help catch the killer--if he doesn't catch her first. [Amazon]

According to The Wrap, Bray will adapt the screenplay herself and executive produce. the diviners book cover