Bestselling Author Dennis Lehane Becomes A Screenwriter

Dennis Lehane is an author known for his Boston-based mystery novels, three of which have already been adapted to the big screen. Clint Eastwood's Mystic River was award-nominated but underrated, Ben Affleck's Gone Baby Gone was one of the best movies of 2008, and Martin Scorsese's Shutter Island hits theaters next week (I saw it at Butnumathon and very much enjoyed it, but not as much as the other two film adaptations). Fox 2000 has acquired the rights to one of Lehane's short films, and have hired the mystery novelist to pen the screenplay adaptation. The story, which is titled Animal Rescue, is not the Marly and Me-like popcorn tale you might be expecting from the title.

Published in Akashic Books anthology Boston Noir, which Lehane also edited, the story starts off with a great first sentence:

Bob found the dog in the trash.

Publisher's Weekly says the story is "about a killing resulting from a lost and contested pit bull." Set in Lehane's "beloved home neighborhood of Dorchester" the story "showcases his phenomenal ability to grip the heart, soul, and throat of the reader." Lehane's story is not only the longest story in the volume (27-pages in length), but is also considered to be the best written of the batch. An Amazon review gives us a little more information: "a confrontation between small time hoods in Dorchester. The story has atmosphere, compelling characters and classic noir visuals" The book is available on Amazon for around $11.

Lehane has been sought to adapt his previous books for the screen, but this is the first adaptation that he was interested in penning himself. Lehane wrote a few episodes of HBO's acclaimed television series The Wire.

source: Variety