Ant-Man hasn’t even hit theaters yet, but the teensy, tiny waves made by the teensy, tiny superhero are already been felt across the wide world of cinema. ComingSoon reports that the next bit of small cinema bound for the big screen is an adaptation of Michael Crichton’s Micro, a posthumous adventure tale completed by author Richard Preston after Crichton’s 2008 death, and published by HarperCollins in 2011.
Described as a “high-concept thriller,” the book “follows a group of graduate students lured to Hawaii to work for a mysterious biotech company—only to find themselves miniaturized and cast out into the rain forest, with nothing but their scientific expertise and wits to protect them.” (Insert bad joke about “And you thought your job was tough!” here.) The book blends big (well, small, come on) action and lots of corporate intrigue. The story also boasts a high body count—being small isn’t for everyone—and lots of comparatively gigantic bugs and other horrifying threats.
Of the news, Crichton’s widow, Sherri Crichton, shared: “Michael was exhilarated, passionate and invested in Micro, a story he spent years researching and developing… It was yet another opportunity for him to explore the clash between science and nature, as seen through the eyes of relatable characters. Michael also wrote in cinematic terms and would be so pleased to see Micro come to life on the big screen at DreamWorks.”
Crichton’s long and varied career also included turns behind the camera (like with Westworld), and his books have frequently been turned into big-screen outings (hey, Jurassic Park, Sphere, Congo, Rising Sun, Disclosure, the list goes on and on). It’s no surprise DreamWorks would want to get back into biz with Crichton creations, especially on the money-making heels of Jurassic World, which continues to dominate the box-office. With Jurassic World performing so well and a brand new Westworld series bound for the small screen, we look to be in the middle of some sort of Crichton renaissance, and not even a teensy, tiny one at that.
The film will be produced by Frank Marshall, with Sherri Crichton and Laurent Bouzereau set to serve as executive producers for CrichtonSun LLC.