Writer Richard Matheson has no shortage of fans and Hollywood continues to show its fascination with the author as Parkes/MacDonald Productions have optioned Matheson's Earthbound in hopes of bringing it to the silver screen, according to THR. Parkes/MacDonald Productions recently partnered with Imagenation Abu Dhabi in October 2009, and this is the first film from the tandem. THR gives this description of the novel:

"Earthbound centers on a married man who starts an affair with a young stranger, only to realize that she may actually be the ghost of a long-dead woman driven by something much more than earthly passion."

More after the jump:

Matheson's previous works have been made into the movies I Am Legend, A Stir of Echoes, What Dreams May Come, and Steven Spielberg's first breakout hit, Duel.

Ronnie Christensen will write the screenplay for Eathbound and has experience with the thematic twist, as evidenced by Passengers, starring Anne Hathaway and Patrick Wilson. While the film was admittedly bad, a single film isn't enough for me to judge. However, the producers do have a knack for giving us quality films.

Spouses Walter Parkes and Laurie MacDonald were previous co-heads of DreamWorks Pictures before creating their producing shingle. Under their watch, the studio helped produce American Beauty, Gladiator, A Beautiful Mind, Saving Private Ryan, Almost Famous, Men in Black, Minority Report, and Catch Me If You Can. While these weren't the only films, the pedigree is there.

"Richard Matheson's novels and short stories have been adapted into some of the most memorable science fiction and fantasy films ever produced-from Steven Spielberg's landmark Duel, to the elegant time-travel romance Somewhere in Time, to last year's mega-hit I Am Legend," said Parkes. "We're excited to have the opportunity to work on one of this extraordinary author's most intimate and suspenseful novels."

MacDonald, Parkes, and Keri Selig will produce the pic, while Lindsay Devlin is executive producing.