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New Line Snags Rights to Richard Doetsch's The Thirteenth Hour

by Alex Billington
September 9, 2008

New Line Cinema has acquired rights to "The Thirteenth Hour", a novel written by Richard Doetsch due out on bookshelves sometime next year. The book was described as a cross between The Bourne Identity and The Time Traveler's Wife, and follows a man accused of brutally murdering his wife who is given a chance to save her by going back in time, in one-hour increments. He puts together clues to figure out not only who killed her but why. The project is being produced by Michael De Luca, of Zathura and 21 recently, and doesn't have a screenwriter or director attached just yet. De Luca enthusiastically explained that "it has a great cinematic structure that unfolds in reverse," somewhat like Christopher Nolan's Memento.

The reason why I'm featuring this announcement today is because this movie sounds like it has the potential to be something great. The concept is quite high profile and should fit perfectly with a sci-fi director that can truly realize its potential. I love the two references, Bourne Identity and Time Traveler's Wife, and can't wait to see who they end up getting both as a screenwriter and director for this. I'm not familiar with Doetsch's previous work, but a lot of people seem to be a fan of his books, which may be a very good sign. I'll definitely keep my fingers crossed and will remain hopeful that The Thirteenth Hour turns into a project that continues to look as good as I'm imagining it will at the moment. Thoughts?

Filed under Movie News, Opinions

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