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James Cameron to Produce & Direct 'The Informationist' Adaptation

by Ben Pearson
October 23, 2012
Source: THR

Here's an interesting surprise. Only five months ago, writer/producer/director James Cameron told the NY Times that he was "in the Avatar business. Period. That's it." But according to news released today, it seems the filmmaker has changed his mind. THR says Fox has snagged the rights to The Informationist, an action thriller based on Taylor Stevens' 2011 novel that features a strong female protagonist, an aspect which obviously caught Cameron's eye considering his prominent history with powerful leading ladies on screen. Cameron is set to direct this movie for 20th Century Fox after he films Avatar 2 and 3 back to back.

The story in Taylor Stevens' novel follows Vanessa "Michael" Munroe, who grew up in Africa as the protege to a gunrunner and his mercenaries when she was only 14 years old. As an adult, she's become a highly touted information specialist with an expansive clientele. When a Texas billionaire hires her to track his daughter, who went missing in Africa four years prior, Munroe must face her past to find the girl.

Cameron is clearly a fan, praising the character by saying in the press release: "Taylor Stevens' Vanessa Michael Munroe is an intriguing and compelling heroine with an agile mind and a thirst for adventure. Equally fascinating for me is her emotional life and her unexpected love story. I’m looking forwarding to bringing Vanessa and her world to the big screen." Producer Jon Landau is also impressed, and he gave a hint of what we can expect by saying, "We were drawn to this book because of the terrific, compelling narrative and the character, who typifies the strong female protagonists that have inhabited Jim’s work – in this case Vanessa Munroe is essentially a mix of Lisbeth Salander and Jason Bourne." Sounds good!

Perhaps the biggest question for longtime Cameron fans: what does the acquisition of The Informationist mean for development of Cameron's long-rumored adaptation of Battle Angel? Landau gave an update on that project last month, saying that it was still years away but also revealing, "I am confident that you will see it." We'll have to wait, but I'm guessing The Informationist is a bit more marketable and therefore we'll probably see it first and have to wait a few more years for Battle Angel. But that may be a good thing, as technology is only going to improve with time and I'm sure waiting a bit longer will only improve the final result of the stunning visuals Cameron hopes to achieve with his sci-fi passion project. Your thoughts?

Filed under Development, Movie News

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