Move Over 'Safe Haven', Next Sparks Film Already in the Works
by Zack Wells
Just a week after “Safe Haven” opened in theaters, Fox 2000 Studios has announced they have purchased the film rights to Nicholas Sparks’ novel “The Longest Ride”. Except that “The Longest Ride” isn’t even published yet.
The film adaptation, most likely to be released Valentine’s weekend of 2015, will be based on the novel that is set to be released September 24th of this year.
The novel will focus on two love stories that interact.
One story will be of a 90-year-old man who is fading in and out of consciousness as he’s trapped in his snowbound car on an isolated road after getting in a major crash. As he awaits rescue, he hallucinates the love of his life who died years ago.
Together, they recount their greatest moments in love, including his bout in WWII and his inability to father children due to his war wounds. They eventually become big shot art collectors, but she dies of a stroke, and he is lost.
The second story focuses on an art history major and a handsome bull rider who fall in love, despite being from two different worlds. The cowboy has to save his family ranch, so he rides despite injuries making it difficult.
A “strange occurrence” allows the two sets of lovers, otherwise removed, to save each other.
It’s common knowledge that anything touched by Nicholas Sparks turns to gold, and it’s no surprise that this new deal netted Sparks a hefty $5 million upfront. So how do you think this new film will fare?