MGM Secures Rights to Terry Hayes’ Espionage Thriller “I Am Pilgrim”

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures (MGM) has secured the feature film rights to Terry Hayes’ international bestselling espionage thriller “I Am Pilgrim” it was announced today by Jonathan Glickman, MGM’s president, motion picture group.

Hayes, a former journalist and award-winning screenwriter whose credits include “Payback,” “Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior” and “Dead Calm” is adapting his debut novel for the screen. Lloyd Braun is producing the film through his Whalerock Industries. Andrew Mittman at Whalerock will serve as Executive Producer.

“Pilgrim” is the codename for a man who doesn’t exist. The adopted son of a wealthy American family, he once headed up a secret espionage unit for US intelligence. Now in anonymous retirement, he is called upon to lend his expertise to an unusual investigation but ultimately becomes caught in a terrifying race-against-time to save America from oblivion.

The thriller, which has recently landed on The New York Times bestseller list and has appeared on countless recommended summer reading lists nationwide, soon will be translated into 20 foreign language editions. It has also already appeared on the major US, UK, German and Dutch bestseller lists. Critical raves include The New York Times’ Janet Maslin: “Mr. Hayes’s globe-trotting book has more kicks, twists and winks than anything of its dusty genre has provided in a long time. You will be happily surprised to find a new thriller franchise with brains to match its brawn;” The New York Post: “The next Girl With The Dragon Tattoo;” The Daily Mail: “A summer blockbuster;” and The Associated Press: “The storytelling and a truly intriguing protagonist make I Am Pilgrim a contender for best-of-the-year lists.”

“Having written and produced movies myself, the most important thing for me when it came to selling the film rights to Pilgrim was the people who would be involved. Luckily, it turned out better than I could have ever imagined – I have had the pleasure of working with Gary Barber and Jonathan Glickman previously and I have long been an admirer of Lloyd Braun and the wonderful material he has championed. I couldn’t be happier that not only this book, but those which are due to follow, is in their hands,” said Hayes.

MGM will be in theaters next with HERCULES, starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and directed by Brett Ratner, on July 25 with Paramount Pictures. The studio’s romantic film IF I STAY, starring Chloe Moretz, is scheduled for release August 22 with partner Warner Bros./New Line. Also with Warner Bros./New Line is the final film in The Hobbit Trilogy, THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES due in theaters December 17. HOT TUB TIME MACHINE 2 with Paramount Pictures will also arrive in theaters nationwide on Christmas Day.