Josh Schwartz is finally getting John Green’s “Looking For Alaska” off the page and onto the screen.
Hulu is in the midst of closing a deal with Schwartz (“The O.C.”) and Stephanie Savage’s Fake Empire and Paramount Television for an eight-episode limited series based on the book, insiders with knowledge of the project tell TheWrap.
Savage –who has been working to adapt Green’s best-selling young adult novel for over a decade, penned the pilot and will serve as executive producer and showrunner. Savage, Green, Jessica Tuchinsky, Mark Waters and Marty Bowen of Temple Hill will also executive produce, along with Fake Empire’s Lis Rowinski as co-executive produce.
“Looking for Alaska” is told through the perspective of teen Miles “Pudge” Halter, as he enrolls in a boarding school to try to gain a deeper understanding of life. He meets Alaska Young, a student who he falls in love with while she guides him through his personal “labyrinth of suffering” throughout the school year. When Alaska unexpectedly dies, Miles must work through his grief as he and his other close friends work to uncover the truth behind Alaska’s death.
The project has gone through many incarnations since Schwartz first received the then-unpublished manuscript for “The Fault in Our Stars” author’s debut novel in 2005. Former Paramount Pictures boss Gail Berman originally purchased the rights for Schwartz to write and potentially direct a “Looking for Alaska” film, with Paramount TV president Amy Powell then helping to move the project from the feature division to TV.
The limited series marks Schwartz and Savage’s second project at the streaming service, along with “Marvel’s Runaways,” which was renewed for a Season 2.
Schwartz, Savage and Fake Empire are repped by WME and attorney Joel McKuin. Schwartz is additionally repped by Mikkel Bondesen.
Deadline first reported the news.