Roland Emmerich has acquired the screen rights to Maya Lord, a historical novel by John Coe RobbinsMaya Lord tells the true story of Gonzalo Guerrero, a Spanish sailor who was enslaved by the local Maya when he shipwrecked on the Yucatan Peninsula in 1511.  Guerrero earned his freedom, became a respected warrior, and married the daughter of a Mayan chieftan.

According to Deadline, Emmerich has been passionate about Guerrero's story for years, but it may take time for him to get around to Maya Lord.  Emmerich is focused on Stonewall as his next project.  Read the book synopsis after the jump.

Gonzalo—shipwrecked in a violent storm in 1511, he finds himself cast away on an unknown shore in the New World. A fierce tribe enslaves him and the other Spaniards in his small party. With little hope for escape, this brilliant and pragmatic adventurer searches for a way to advance in a strange new culture.

Ix Zazil—the spirited and independent daughter of a powerful chieftain, she finds herself surprisingly drawn to the strange foreigner who has been thrust into her life from another world.

Jeronimo—lost in the shipwreck with Gonzalo, this uncompromising priest rejects Maya ways, holds fast to his beliefs and remains a slave. Like his fellow survivor, he is convinced he is the better man for his choice.

Based on actual people and events, this exotic historical novel follows these driven characters as they chart conflicting courses through a tumultuous world unlike anything they could ever have imagined. [Amazon]

Here's the book trailer:

maya lord book cover