Showtime Acquires The Rights To ‘The President Is Missing’ Based On Novel By James Patterson &… Bill Clinton?
You may wonder what you do once you are a former US President. Some paint. Some set up foundations. Bill Clinton chose to write a novel with James Patterson, which has now been picked up by US network Showtime to be made into a tv series!
‘The President Is Missing’ the story of a sitting U.S. president’s disappearance, with the level of detail that only someone who has held the office can know. It’s based on the as-yet-unpublished novel by former President Bill Clinton, and James Patterson, the prolific author, and the man behind the wonderfully silly ‘Zoo’ and upcoming Alan Cumming series ‘Instinct‘ (based on his novel ‘Dr Death’.)
Showtime apparently had a bit of a fight on their hands, as multiple networks went after the property, but they eventually emerged, victorious. “Bringing The President Is Missing to Showtime is a coup of the highest order,” comments Showtime Networks president and CEO David Nevins. “The pairing of President Clinton with fiction’s most gripping storyteller promises a kinetic experience, one that the book world has salivated over for months and that now will dovetail perfectly into a politically relevant, character-based action series for our network.”
Whilst this marks the first time a former President has co-authored a thriller, it’s not Clinton’s first book, having written a number of non-fiction works, mainly about government and an autobiography. Patterson has, frankly, a ridiculously sized bibliography of books written both for adults and children, so is no stranger to novels or tv.
“I’m really enjoying writing this book and working with Jim, and I can’t wait to see Showtime bring the characters to life,” comments Clinton on the collaboration. Patterson adds “The White House is such an exciting world to explore and is made even more so with the unique insights of a former President. Rich storytelling opportunities for this series abound.”
‘The President Is Missing’ is currently only in development, but we’ll let you know when we hear more. The novel is due to be published in 2018.
