White House Down director Roland Emmerich is set to produce and develop Maya Lord, a big screen adaptation of the book by John Coe Robbins. Published in 2011, the 16th century adventure is officially described as follows:
Gonzalo -shipwrecked in a violent storm in 1511, he finds himself cast away on an unknown shore in the New World. A fierce tribe enslaves him and the other Spaniards in his small party. With little hope for escape, this brilliant and pragmatic adventurer searches for a way to advance in a strange new culture. Ix Zazil -the spirited and independent daughter of a powerful chieftain, she finds herself surprisingly drawn to the strange foreigner who has been thrust into her life from another world. Jeronimo -lost in the shipwreck with Gonzalo, this uncompromising priest rejects Maya ways, holds fast to his beliefs and remains a slave. Like his fellow survivor, he is convinced he is the better man for his choice. Based on actual people and events, this exotic historical novel follows these driven characters as they chart conflicting courses through a tumultuous world unlike anything they could ever have imagined.
Emmerich will produce through his Centropolis Entertainment and will potentially direct as well, although his upcoming slate is a bit full. He’s next set to direct the civil rights drama Stonewall before tackling a much-anticipated sequel (potentially sequels) to his 1996 sci-fi actioner Independence Day.
You can check out a trailer for the book version of Maya Lord in the player below:
