The Shards is the latest Bret Easton Ellis book headed for the screen, Deadline reports.
Ellis’ novel, his first in 13 years, was published in January by Knopf. It tells the story of a serial killer who terrorizes teens in 1981, and who starts to taunt the book’s main character, a 17-year-old high school senior named Bret Ellis, and his group of friends. A critic for Kirkus called the book “a surprisingly seductive work of erotic horror.”
HBO is developing a series based on the novel, which Ellis will write. He will also serve as an executive producer alongside Nick Hall and Brian Young.
The Shards will be the fifth Ellis book to be adapted for the screen. His debut novel, Less Than Zero, formed the basis for a 1987 film directed by Marek Kanievska and starring Andrew McCarthy, Jami Gertz, and Robert Downey Jr. In 2002, his novel The Rules of Attraction was adapted into a movie directed by Roger Avary and starring James Van Der Beek and Jessica Biel.
Ellis’ extremely controversial American Psycho spawned Mary Harron’s 2000 movie starring Christian Bale as the titular banker and murderer, while Ellis’ short story collection, The Informers, was adapted into a 2008 film directed by Gregor Jordan and starring Billy Bob Thornton, Kim Basinger, and Winona Ryder.
Michael Schaub, a journalist and regular contributor to NPR, lives near Austin, Texas.
