ABERDEEN, S.D. (AP) - An Aberdeen creative duo has acquired the rights to adapt a short story from a well-known author of young adult fiction for the silver screen.
Brian Hoesing and Terra McQuillen have been given the rights to produce a film based on Bruce Coville’s short story “Duffy’s Jacket,” reported the American News in Aberdeen (https://bit.ly/1HoUytc ).
Coville is the author of many young adult fantasy and science fiction books including the “Unicorn Chronicles” series, “The Dragonslayers” and “My Teacher Is an Alien.”
McQuillen, a literature and creative writing teacher at Central High School, initially reached out to the author to ask about coming to speak in South Dakota and, after staying in contact, eventually asked the author for permission.
“He was instantly very interested,” McQuillen said.
“Duffy’s Jacket” centers around three cousins who are reluctantly taken on a camping trip by their mothers and find themselves being pursued by a terrifying beast called The Sentinel.
Hoesing and McQuillen are big Coville fans and grew up reading his books. Hoesing, an active filmmaker in the Aberdeen area, said he’s happy just to have had the chance to speak to his favorite author, so getting to translate one of Coville’s stories into a film is thrilling.
“I got to tell (Coville) how much I liked his books growing up. Everything I like about movies is also in his books - the aesthetics, the characters and the feeling,” he said.
Hoesing will direct and co-produce; McQuillen is also co-producing.
So far, Hoesing and McQuillen have written the screenplay, cast the actors, shot a trailer and started a Kickstarter campaign to help facilitate production of the film.
“Our team is awesome and tried and true,” Hoesing said. “We just need the money to make it all work.”
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Information from: Aberdeen American News, https://www.aberdeennews.com
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