New Republic Pictures, Francis Lawrence’s about:blank and Electric Shepherd Productions are teaming to adapt Philip K. Dick’s novel Vulcan’s Hammer for the big screen, with Hunger Games sequels helmer Lawrence set to direct.
Brian Oliver and Bradley Fischer of New Republic will produce alongside Lawrence and Cameron MacConomy from about:blank, and Isa Dick Hackett from Electric Shepherd.
Vulcan’s Hammer is set after a devastating world war, when the 70 nations of Earth form the Unity Party cede global governance to the Vulcan AI system, which algorithmically dictates policies for Unity to carry out. But after Vulcan is attacked and a special agent is murdered, Unity director William Barris is called to unravel the mystery to figure out who — or what — wants to destroy the system to which he has dedicated his life.
“We’re very pleased to partner with the passionate team at New Republic and thrilled by Francis’s ambitious vision for bringing Vulcan’s Hammer to the big screen,” said Hackett.
The 1960 book was acquired from the Dick Estate under about:blank’s first-look deal with New Republic.
More than 40 of the legendary author’s novels and 125 short stories have been translated into 25 languages, and his works have been the basis for movies ranging from Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner and Blade Runner 2049 to Steven Spielberg’s Minority Report and the 1990 and 2012 versions of Total Recall. He died in 1982.
Lawrence, who also directed Constantine and I Am Legend, is repped by CAA, 3 Arts and Hansen Jacobson. The Estate of Philip K. Dick and Electric Shepherd Productions are repped by Christopher Tricarico of Tricarico Chavez LLP.