David Goyer Heading TV Adaptation of Wild Fantasy Novel The Hike
Debi Moore
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IM Global Television is looking to take a walk on the wild – and absurd – side as the company has optioned Drew Magary’s truly bizarre-sounding fantasy novel The Hike to develop as a TV series. They’ve tapped David S. Goyer to exec produce along with Kevin Turen. Magary will pen the adaptation.
Per Deadline, The Hike, published in August, is a blend of fantasy, folklore, and video game tropes. The imaginative and absurdist adventure story centers around a family man who takes a walk into the woods of rural Pennsylvania, finding himself lost with only “The Path” to guide him – a mysterious gauntlet populated by dog-faced men, sentient clouds of smoke, and a caustic talking crab that may be his only chance to getting back to his loved ones.
“Needless to say, this isn’t your typical fantasy adventure tale,” said IM Global Television president Mark Stern. “As wild as it is, however, Drew’s ability to tap into deeply emotional themes makes this completely engrossing.”
Here’s the book synopsis; we’ll keep our eyes on the TV version to see how Dread-worthy it ends up being.
Synopsis:
When Ben, a suburban family man, takes a business trip to rural Pennsylvania, he decides to spend the afternoon before his dinner meeting on a short hike. Once he sets out into the woods behind his hotel, he quickly comes to realize that the path he has chosen cannot be given up easily. With no choice but to move forward, Ben finds himself falling deeper and deeper into a world of man-eating giants, bizarre demons, and colossal insects.
On a quest of epic, life-or-death proportions, Ben finds help comes in some of the most unexpected forms, including a profane crustacean and a variety of magical objects, tools, and potions. Desperate to return to his family, Ben is determined to track down the “Producer,” the creator of the world in which he is being held hostage and the only one who can free him from the path.
At once bitingly funny and emotionally absorbing, Magary’s novel is a remarkably unique addition to the contemporary fantasy genre, one that draws as easily from the world of classic folk tales as it does from video games. In The Hike, Magary takes readers on a daring odyssey away from our day-to-day grind and transports them into an enthralling world propelled by heart, imagination, and survival.
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