New Line Cinema has made a preemptive acquisition of The Thirteenth Hour, a time-travel novel by Richard Doetsch, reports Variety. Michael De Luca will produce the film, one of his first New Line projects since leaving his post as production president eight years ago.
Doetsch previously wrote bestseller The Thieves of Heaven, which is being developed at Fox 2000. His new novel will be auctioned shortly to publishers by lit agent Cynthia Manson.
Described as a cross between The Bourne Identity and The Time Traveler’s Wife, the book follows a man accused of brutally murdering his wife who is given a chance to save her by going back in time, in one-hour increments. He puts together clues to figure out not only who killed her but why.
“It has a great cinematic structure that unfolds in reverse,” De Luca said. De Luca exec Alissa Phillips will be executive producer.
