Miramax announced today that it has won the bid to option the motion picture rights to “The Reason You’re Alive,” the new novel from New York Times best-selling author Matthew Quick. Allison Shearmur (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Cinderella) will produce. Quick will adapt the screenplay from his novel.
“The Reason You’re Alive” tells the story of David Granger, a Vietnam war veteran who, post brain surgery, must atone for a decades-old injustice in order to reconnect with his peace-loving art dealer son. Harper, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, will publish “The Reason You’re Alive” in 2017.
Said Zanne Devine,Miramax’s Head of Film & TV: “’The Reason You’re Alive’ is an incredibly touching and witty novel written by the immensely talented Matthew Quick. His gift for characters and storytelling is exceptional and there was no doubt from the moment that we finished the read that we wanted to bring Matthew’s book to the big screen.”
David Thwaites will oversee development and production for Miramax. Stephen Meinen will oversee development and production for Allison Shearmur Productions.
“’The Reason You’re Alive’ might be my most personal project yet,” said Quick. “I’m extremely excited to be adapting my own material and thrilled to be working with such talented filmmakers.”
“Matthew Quick is an unparalleled storyteller and examiner of the human condition,” said Shearmur. “The central character of David Granger is brilliantly layered and complex, providing an unfiltered lens into life, love, and family. Equally heartbreaking and life-affirming – and written in Matthew’s singular wit and tone – ‘The Reason You’re Alive’ is destined to become an unforgettable read and I am privileged to be a part of shepherding this incredible story.”
Quick’s previous bestseller and debut novel “The Silver Linings Playbook” was adapted into the Academy Award winning film Silver Linings Playbook. Several of his other novels are also being adapted into films, including “Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock,” “The Good Luck of Right Now,” “Sorta Like a Rockstar,” “Love May Fail” and “Every Exquisite Thing.” Quick’s novels, which have been translated into over 30 languages, have garnered him legions of devoted readers who revere his storytelling prowess through complex, often flawed, sometimes humorous, and always endearing characters.
