Invisible Monsters Optioned to Newcomer Jesse Peyronel

February 3rd, 2002

I'm sure most of you have already heard about Invisible Monsters getting the go. Hell, half of you emailed me pointing me to the numerous websites and trades that had covered the deal. What I didn't realize (until about three weeks ago), was that the first person to email me with the news was Jesse Peyronel... the very guy who bought the option from Chuck and who has already turned in a first draft of the script.

Here is the email he sent me:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(from Nov 15th, 2001 trades)

New York, NY, November 14, 2001 - Chuck Palahniuk, author of the cult novel "Fight Club", whose screen adaptation was directed by David Fincher for Fox, grossing over $55 million in the DVD and video market, has just sold the film option for his novel "Invisible Monsters" to fledgling director Jesse Peyronel and his Bounder production company.

"Invisible Monsters" is the story of a fashion model who is always the center of attention until her face gets shot off in a drive-by shooting. Disfigured beyond the reach of reconstructive surgery, she becomes culturally invisible but realizes there is power in people being afraid to acknowledge your presence.

Palahniuk granted the film option to Peyronel for his first, and arguably most controversial, novel seven months after selling the film rights to his recent New York Times bestseller "Choke" to Beau Flynn’s Bandeira Entertainment and setting up his upcoming novel "Lullabye" at Doubleday. "Fight Club" has sold more than 150,000 copies and the author’s work is published in over 22 countries.

Jesse Peyronel, a graduate of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts film program, wrote and directed the short "Swimming Out To Holly", a finalist of this year’s Hypnotic Million Dollar Film Festival. "Swimming Out To Holly" has played at over a dozen international festivals this year, including Edinburgh, Palm Springs, and the New York Film Festival. He is currently writing the screenplay for "Invisible Monsters" and developing his original project, "Comedown". The short is distributed by Universal Pictures affiliate Hypnotic. Peyronel is currently discussing "Invisible Monsters" with various production companies both here and in his native UK, with an eye to a summer/fall 2002 start.

The deal was brokered by Edward Hibbert, Palahniuk’s agent at Donadio & Olson in NY, and Peyronel’s attorney, Judith Karfiol at the Business Affairs Group in LA.

I just got off the phone with Jesse now (the bastard was on his cell phone... sitting in the stands... at the SUPERBOWL!)... and he has agreed to do a phone interview with me this week. So come next update (which won't take as long... I promise)... I'll have all the inside juice with you about the first stage of development for Invisible Monsters.

For more on Peyronel, visit http://www.bounderltd.com.