Michael Bay is attached to direct an adaptation of Wesley Chu’s sci-fi novel “Time Salavager” for Paramount, TheWrap has learned.
Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Mark Vahradian will produce the movie, which is set in a future where the human race has abandoned Earth and colonized the stars.
The story follows a convicted criminal named James Griffin-Mars, who is identified as one of a select group ideally suited for time-travel missions that could delay humanity’s demise. He’s sent to Earth’s past to recover resources and treasure without altering the timeline. On a final mission that will secure his retirement, James meets Elise Kim, an intriguing scientist from a previous century, who’s fated to die during the destruction of an ocean rig. James brings Elise back to the future with him, saving her life, but turning them both into fugitives.
Representatives for Paramount and Bay did not immediately respond to requests for comment, but Chu already confirmed the news on his personal blog, though he recently deleted the entry.
“The speed that Mark, the president of Di Bonaventura, pushed for Paramount to close the option, and the enthusiasm Michael Bay showed in attaching to ‘Time Salvager,’ has been nothing short of astounding. Often, getting this far in the process can take months, if not years. This went down in a matter of weeks. It’s still going to be an uphill climb but I have complete confidence in the team that Di Bonaventura and Paramount are assembling to usher ‘Time Salvager’ to the big screen.”
“Time Salvager” hits bookstores on July 7.
Bay is currently directing the Benghazi siege movie “13 Hours” for Paramount, where he has also directed all four films in the blockbuster “Transformers” franchise, as well as the dark comedy “Pain & Gain.” He’s represented by WME.