Random House and the film company Focus Features have announced a partnership that is intended to draw on Random House books for films to be developed, financed and produced by the two companies.
In addition, Random House, the book publishing division of Bertelsmann, will be able to publish original screenplays and books about the making of films that arise from the partnership; and if Focus Features, part of NBC Universal, develops an original screenplay suitable to become a novel or work of nonfiction, Random House, through the author's agent, will have the opportunity to become the publisher.
The partnership's films will be derived from a wide range of Random House titles, including adult, children's, young readers' and religious and inspirational books, for which motion picture rights are available and can be acquired. Random House imprints also include Ballantine, Bantam, Crown, Dell, Doubleday and Knopf.
Focus films with literary origins include the Academy Award-winner "The Pianist," as well as "The Motorcycle Diaries," "The Constant Gardener" and this season's "Pride & Prejudice," "Ice Harvest" and "Brokeback Mountain."
— New York Times News Service