Nicholas Sparks now on TV

MANILA, Philippines – Message in a Bottle, The Notebook, A Walk to Remember, The Last Song, Dear John, The Lucky One, Nights in Rodanthe, At First Sight.

What do these titles have in common?

They are best-selling novels written by Nicholas Sparks that were made into movies, grossing US$650-M in box office receipts worldwide, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

And he’s not done yet: according to Indie Wire, several more books-to-movies projects are in the pipeline, one of which is Safe Haven starring The Transformers’ Josh Duhamel and Rock of Ages’ Julianne Hough. The movie will be released in theaters on February 8, 2013; just in time for a weepy Valentine’s Day.

And that’s not all!

With the success of his novels and the movies based on his novels, Sparks is venturing into television, sealing deals with 3 cable networks through Nicholas Sparks Productions, a company he set up in April this year.

He along with literary agent Theresa Park will be the executive producers of all 3 television projects.

According to Indie Wire, the 3 TV projects are:

1) A Bend in the Road at TNT – Brandon Camp (Love Happens, John Doe) is co-developer

It is about Miles, deputy sheriff at New Bern, North Carolina, who is devastated after losing his wife to a hit-and-run accident. He meets Sarah Andrews, a woman struggling to rebuild her own life, and discovers new meaning in his own.

2) The Falls at ABC Family – John Norris (Jane by Design, One Tree Hill) is co-developer

According to Indie Wire, The Falls is “a modern day retelling of ‘Romeo and Juliet’.” 

3) Deliverance Creek at Lifetime – Melissa Carter (Jane by Design, Little Black Book) will write and executive produce the pilot

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Deliverance Creek is “a period drama set in the post-Civil War era. It focuses on a woman trying to protect her family and struggling between doing the right thing and doing what’s needed to survive.” 

These projects are borne out of a two-year deal that Sparks sealed with Warner Horizon shortly after he launched Nicholas Sparks Productions.

In his interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Sparks said that “the collaborative aspets of TV are appealing.”

“It’s a chance to venture into stories I don’t always write about,” he said. 

But, at the end of the day, he is still a “novelist at heart.”

Sparks’ top priority will always be writing stories about redemption, love lost and love found. – Rappler.com