A star in the making
A star in the making
An aspiring Ilminster author looks sets for the silver screen – after his debut novel was spotted by movie producers.
Samsun Lobe, 40, is in ”serious discussions” with British filmmakers Entanglement Productions over his epic fantasy tale, ‘Dying Star’.
The firm wants to adapt the book – the first in a trilogy – for the big screen and release a feature-length movie next year.
Incredibly, Samsun – who runs a software development company based on Ashwell Business Park – penned the title in less than six months.
Since its publication in March, the novel has gone on to win the hearts of readers and critics alike.
Both Samsun and Entanglement Productions were yesterday tight-lipped about the deal.
Samsun revealed: ”It’s too early to talk about it at
the moment, but I can say that a production company has been in contact.
”We’re now in serious talks about the book, and I’m looking forward to reaching an outcome in coming weeks.”
Samsun, a ”massive” science-fiction and fantasy fan, began writing Dying Star in mid-2009.
His 230-page novel is set around the planet Gebshu, which is undergoing devastating climatic change following the slow death of its life-giving star, Shu.
As the oceans reclaim the world, the ruling classes – led by the unstable Lord Emperor – escape to the nearby moon. The rest of the inhabitants are left to die or adapt.
Samsun, a trained graphic artist who has worked in the digital media and computer games industry for 22 years, said he had been sitting on the idea for over a decade before finally putting pen to
paper.
Reviews have praised the book for its action and “excellent fight scenes” and the author for his “engrossing” and “imaginative” plot.
Now – only weeks after its publication – Samsun could see his name up in lights.
He was approached by Entanglement Productions, a firm based in Leamington Spa, last week about adapting the novel for the big screen.
If a deal between the two is struck, Samsun could net up to £50,000 – the standard fee for first-time authors.
Samsun, who published the novel himself, said: ”I pitched my book far and wide to publishers but kept getting told I didn’t have a big enough fan-base.
“I believed in my work and decided to self-publish but still continued to explore new avenues, just on the off-chance.
“One of the routes I explored
was turning my book into a movie and it seems to have been the right one. If it hits the big screen then that should get me a huge fanbase to impress publishers.”
Samsun believes filmmakers made contact after seeing a two-minute animated trailer about the book, which he made himself and uploaded onto YouTube.
He also used his experience of art and design to build an interactive website specifically for fans.
Samsun – who ranks David Gemmell, Douglas Hill and Raymond E. Feist as his inspiration – believes the YouTube promo was the “icing on the cake” for Entanglement Productions.
He said: “The trailer is based on the prologue to ‘Dying Star’ and features a professional voice-over from friend Gary Patterson.
”I’ve no doubt that filmmakers saw the video, and recognised the cinematic potential
of the book.”
A spokesman for Entanglement Productions confirmed a potential deal, but refused to go into detail.
He added: ”It’s early days, but we’re confident that we can reach an agreement soon.”
Dying Star by Samsun Lobe (AuthorHouse) is available from Amazon UK priced £10.99, and from www.samsunlobe.co.uk
Article from articlesbase.com
