Everyone knows that James Cameron gets super excited about ocean exploration. But for his next project, he’s going even lower than that. Cameron just announced that his company, Lightstorm, has acquired the rights to The Devils, a new book by Joe Abercrombie that follows a high-ranking demon who takes a group of evil beings on a mission in Hell.
“How do I describe The Devils?” Cameron wrote in a press release via his social media. “A sharply witty horror adventure? An epic battle between good and evil except most of the time you can’t tell which is which? A twisted, stylish, alt-universe middle-ages romp, where your best hope of survival is the monsters themselves? This is Joe Abercrombie in absolute peak form, opening up a whole new world and an ensemble of delicious new characters. The twists and turns come at a rollercoaster pace, and with Joe’s signature acerbic wit and style. The Devils showcases Joe’s jaundiced view of human nature, in all its dark, selfish glory, as told through some decidedly un-human characters. But of course, Joe always teases with the flickers of redemption that make it all worthwhile—and ultimately quite heartwrenching.”
Cameron goes on to talk about his love of Abercrombie’s work before revealing that he’ll co-write the script with Abercrombie just as soon as he gets some other movie he’s working on into theaters. “I’m looking forward to the writing process with him, though I’m certain this adaptation will practically write itself because Joe writes very visually, almost in scenes, and with a very cinematic structure,” Cameron said.
“I can’t wait to dig into this as I wind down on Avatar: Fire and Ash. It will be a joyful new challenge for me to bring these indelible characters to life.”
That third Avatar film, Fire and Ash, is scheduled for release December 19, and while most of us probably assume that means Cameron would jump right into the fourth film, he’s got some time. Avatar 4 is not scheduled for release until December 2029. Whether or not he’ll direct or pass those duties—for either Avatar or The Devils—to someone else remains to be seen. Either way, though, he certainly seems very excited about making his way to Hell. And you would be too if you now owned the rights to this…
“Brother Diaz has been summoned to the Sacred City, where he is certain a commendation and grand holy assignment awaits him,” the official description of The Devils reads. “But his new flock is made up of unrepentant murderers, practitioners of ghastly magic, and outright monsters. The mission he is tasked with will require bloody measures from them all in order to achieve its righteous ends. Elves lurk at our borders and hunger for our flesh, while greedy princes care for nothing but their own ambitions and comfort. With a hellish journey before him, it’s a good thing Brother Diaz has the devils on his side.” Here’s Cameron’s original post.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.