The Weinstein Company (TWC) has acquired the U.S. distribution rights to Blood Sisters, the first feature film installment of the highly successful “Vampire Academy” series of young adult books from financiers Reliance Entertainment and IM Global.
Blood Sisters, to be directed by Mark Waters (Mean Girls, The Spiderwick Chronicles), is based on the first book in author Richelle Mead’s successful series of books, with the screenplay written by Dan Waters (Batman Returns, Heathers). The “Vampire Academy” book series has sold over 8 million copies in print across 35 countries. To date there are 6 books in the series, with the last 4 on the New York Times Best Sellers list.
Blood Sisters will be produced by Don Murphy and Susan Montford (Transformers, Real Steel) of Angry Films, Michael Preger (Day of the Triffids) and Deepak Nayar of Kintop/Reliance (Walking With Dinosaurs, Bend It Like Beckham). IM Global CEO Stuart Ford will executive produce.
The Kintop Reliance partnership/IM Global film will go into production in early summer and last week announced Zooey Deutch, Lucy Fry and Danila Kozlovsky as principal cast.
The mini-major will release the film on a nationwide level on February 14, 2014, a date that combines both Valentines Day and the Presidents Day long weekend.
I am thrilled to be working on the first feature for ‘Vampire Academy.’ This series is fantastic and I am excited to bring it to the screen for diehard fans and introduce the stories to a whole new audience, said TWC Co-Chairman Harvey Weinstein.
Said producer Don Murphy, The addition of Harvey and the TWC distribution and marketing team gives us the opportunity to present this wonderful franchise to the world in a bold, unique fashion and only adds to ‘Vampire Academy’s’ considerable momentum.
In Blood Sisters, Rose Hathaway develops a mental and spiritual bond with her BVFF (best vampire friend forever) Princess Lissa. The two girls attend a strict school for vampires designed to retain their humanity where it is Roses task to protect the Princess. Among the everyday issues faced by teenage vampires Rose falls for Dimitri, their dreamy guardian, and together the three battle the mysterious forces of the evil Moroi who are set on destroying the Princesss bloodline.
