The deal for SenLinYu’s novel is believed to be biggest in history for a new book’s movie rights, not adjusted for inflation.
In a significant, seven-figure deal, Legendary has bought the movie rights to Alchemised, an upcoming dark fantasy by author SenLinYu.
The company made a preemptive offer meant to suppress any competition, prompting a whirlwind round of dealmaking, according to sources.
One source said that rights deal, an outright purchasing, exceeded $3 million. Another source said the deal may have set a Hollywood record for the buying of a book’s movie rights, not accounting for inflation.
Legendary had no comment on deal terms. The acquisition comes as Legendary feels energized thanks to a three-year output deal with Paramount, which itself is re-energized thanks to new owners Skydance, and an almost billion dollar hit with A Minecraft Movie.
“I’m honored by Legendary’s incredible enthusiasm for the project and can’t wait to see the world of Paladia come to life,” said SenLinYu in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter.
SenLinYu, who identifies as they/them, is a known quantity in the Harry Potter fan fiction world, especially a subset known as Dramione, which centers on the forbidden love between Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy. They were best known for one book titled Manacled, a 2023 Potter meets Handmaid’s Tale dark fantasy that drew more than 10 million views on fanfic platform AO3 and received over 100,000 five-star ratings on Goodreads.
Sen, as they are also called, also dabbled in Star Wars fan fic pairing Ben Solo (Kylo Ren) and Rey and has won awards in that space. Their collected online works have garnered over twenty million individual downloads and have been translated into twenty-three languages. After growing up in the Pacific Northwest and studying classical liberal arts and culture, they started writing in the Notes app of their phone during their baby’s nap time.
According to sources, Alchemised began as Dramione before being transfigured into a dark romantasy. Set in an alternate world of necromancers and corrupt guild families, the story centers on an alchemist and healer named Helen Marino, who may hold forgotten secrets in her mind. She is sent to the crumbling estate of one necromancer who is to probe her forgotten memories and, as the book jacket teases, “Helena’s fight – to protect her lost history and to preserve the last remaining shreds of her former self – is just beginning. For her prison and captor have secrets of their own…secrets Helena must unearth, whatever the cost.”
The book, from Penguin Random House division Del Rey, is due to hit stores Sept. 23 with a first printing of 750,000 copies and translations lined up in 21 languages. The book has already been mentioned in various outlets such as The New York Times, Bustle, TODAY, The Washington Post, and Business Insider.
This isn’t the first time that fan fiction turned original material has bewitched Hollywood. 50 Shades of Grey also caused a fury and a major deal after E.L. James turned her Twilight fan fiction into an erotic romantic drama. The books became massive best-sellers while the movies massive money makers.
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The deal for SenLinYu’s novel is believed to be biggest in history for a new book’s movie rights, not adjusted for inflation.
In a significant, seven-figure deal, Legendary has bought the movie rights to Alchemised, an upcoming dark fantasy by author SenLinYu.
The company made a preemptive offer meant to suppress any competition, prompting a whirlwind round of dealmaking, according to sources.
One source said that rights deal, an outright purchasing, exceeded $3 million. Another source said the deal may have set a Hollywood record for the buying of a book’s movie rights, not accounting for inflation.
Legendary had no comment on deal terms. The acquisition comes as Legendary feels energized thanks to a three-year output deal with Paramount, which itself is re-energized thanks to new owners Skydance, and an almost billion dollar hit with A Minecraft Movie.
“I’m honored by Legendary’s incredible enthusiasm for the project and can’t wait to see the world of Paladia come to life,” said SenLinYu in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter.
SenLinYu, who identifies as they/them, is a known quantity in the Harry Potter fan fiction world, especially a subset known as Dramione, which centers on the forbidden love between Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy. They were best known for one book titled Manacled, a 2023 Potter meets Handmaid’s Tale dark fantasy that drew more than 10 million views on fanfic platform AO3 and received over 100,000 five-star ratings on Goodreads.
Sen, as they are also called, also dabbled in Star Wars fan fic pairing Ben Solo (Kylo Ren) and Rey and has won awards in that space. Their collected online works have garnered over twenty million individual downloads and have been translated into twenty-three languages. After growing up in the Pacific Northwest and studying classical liberal arts and culture, they started writing in the Notes app of their phone during their baby’s nap time.
According to sources, Alchemised began as Dramione before being transfigured into a dark romantasy. Set in an alternate world of necromancers and corrupt guild families, the story centers on an alchemist and healer named Helen Marino, who may hold forgotten secrets in her mind. She is sent to the crumbling estate of one necromancer who is to probe her forgotten memories and, as the book jacket teases, “Helena’s fight – to protect her lost history and to preserve the last remaining shreds of her former self – is just beginning. For her prison and captor have secrets of their own…secrets Helena must unearth, whatever the cost.”
The book, from Penguin Random House division Del Rey, is due to hit stores Sept. 23 with a first printing of 750,000 copies and translations lined up in 21 languages. The book has already been mentioned in various outlets such as The New York Times, Bustle, TODAY, The Washington Post, and Business Insider.
This isn’t the first time that fan fiction turned original material has bewitched Hollywood. 50 Shades of Grey also caused a fury and a major deal after E.L. James turned her Twilight fan fiction into an erotic romantic drama. The books became massive best-sellers while the movies massive money makers.