Columbia Acquires “Maximum Ride”

Columbia Pictures has secured screen rights to James Patterson’s “Maximum Ride,” a series of young adult novels about genetically modified human-avian teenagers. Maximum Ride is the leader of the Flock, who were created by a secret facility known as The School. The group often finds themselves pursued by the Erasers, human-wolf hybrids who serve The School. Patterson’s fifth novel in the series will be released next year. Producers for the feature include Marvel property guru, Avi Arad, and Steven Paul. Don Payne (”My Super Ex-Girlfriend,” “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer”) has been attached as the screenwriter for the adaptation.

While I’m sure there will be a collective groan knowing that the producer of “Ghost Rider” and writer of “Rise of the Silver Surfer” are behind this flick, take a moment to remember that Arad has been responsible not just for movies like the “X-Men” and “Spider-Man” franchises, but also for every animated series based on Marvel’s intellectual property. Also, while it tanked, I actually enjoyed “My Super Ex-Girlfriend” as a romantic comedy and as a parody of the traditional super hero dynamic. I think Payne was bogged down by fan expectation when it came to “Fantastic Four,” but “Maximum Ride” allows for a greater range of interpretation. For the moment, I’m optimistic.