Paramount Pictures has acquired the film rights to Pierce Brown’s best-selling dystopian sci-fi series Red Rising, with filmmaker Francis Lawrence attached to direct an adaptation of the first novel in the franchise. The project marks a fresh Hollywood attempt to bring the book to the screen after earlier efforts at Universal Pictures and a planned television series failed to materialize.
The deal was first reported by The Hollywood Reporter and subsequently confirmed across major industry trades. Justin Rhodes has been tapped to pen the screenplay for the film adaptation.
Creative Team and Production Roles
Director Francis Lawrence will also serve as a producer on the film alongside Cameron MacConomy under their about:blank production banner, according to reports from Comic Book Resources. Author Pierce Brown and Francesco Goedhuis are attached to executive produce the project, ensuring the writer’s voice remains involved as the narrative transitions to film.
The Hunger Games director, Francis Lawrence, will reportedly helm #ParamountPictures’ adaptation of Red Rising, the first entry in author Pierce Brown’s same-named book series! 📚️Source: The Hollywood Reporter | Learn More: https://t.co/xCC2uJlTVn pic.twitter.com/IxYxtab1yI
— https://x.com/screenrant/status/2111240849765908867
Brown reacted to the announcement on his Instagram account, stating Let fall the iron rain. Bloodydamn, I love this team.
according to reporting by IGN.
Screenwriter Justin Rhodes brings previous franchise credits to the production, including Terminator: Dark Fate and Secret Level. Lawrence brings extensive experience directing dystopian blockbusters featuring young protagonists confronting brutal class systems, having helmed multiple entries in The Hunger Games franchise, including The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, both parts of Mockingjay, and The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.
Source Material and Setting
The broader literary universe spans multiple published installments. The original trilogy includes Golden Son (2015) and Morning Star (2016), followed by a sequel series consisting of Iron Gold (2018), Dark Age (2019), and Light Bringer (2023). A final seventh installment titled Red God remains in development without a confirmed release date. Additionally, Brown co-written a prequel comic book series titled Red Rising: Son of Ares with Rik Hoskin, illustrated by Eli Powell and published by Dynamite Entertainment.
Studio Context and Unresolved Details
The upcoming feature joins an expanding slate of literary adaptations at Paramount Pictures, which includes Children of Blood and Bone, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and The Midnight Library.
As development on the adaptation gets underway, key production milestones remain unaddressed. Paramount Pictures has not yet announced a cast, a target production start date, or a theatrical release window for the film. Furthermore, the studio has not disclosed whether it holds options or intentions to adapt subsequent novels in the multi-book saga beyond the opening installment.