Summit Entertainment has acquired the feature film rights to The Shack, the best-selling novel by William Paul Young, which was originally published out of a garage by Brad Cummings and Wayne Jacobsen. The project will be produced by Academy Award nominee Gil Netter via his Netter Productions banner and Brad Cummings.
In the aftermath of a devastating personal tragedy, Mackenzie Allen Philips receives a mysterious note in his mailbox inviting him to “The Shack”, signed by “Papa”, his wifes nickname for God. Mack responds and finds himself on a life-transforming journey of truth, forgiveness, and ultimately acceptance in this worldwide phenomenal bestseller.
First published in 2007, The Shack has to date sold over 18 million copies worldwide, 10 million in the United States, and over 8 million internationally, being translated into 39 different languages. The novel has been on the New York Times Best Seller list for over 180 consecutive weeks, topping the list at #1 for 52 of them, and has also been on the USA Today Top 150 List for 188 weeks. Ranked by Nielsen as the Top Best-Selling Book of 2008 and 2nd Best-Selling Book of 2009, The Shack has been featured in national profiles as diverse as Newsweek, TIME, People, and The New York Times.
Michael Paseornek, Lionsgates President of Motion Picture Production, Matthew Janzen, Lionsgates Vice President of Production & Development, and Bree Bailey, Lionsgates Director of Production and Development, will oversee the project for the studio.
