Warner Bros. Mentions "Merlin" Tentpole With Screenwriting Novice Wizard (Exclusive)

E 'responsible for the manuscript to draw the sword from the stone.

Ed Whitworth, a script reader for Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Productions., A seemingly nowhere to land the plum together to write The Lost Years of Merlin, Warner Bros. big-budget adaptation of the first book fantasy series TA Barron.

Donald De Line (Green Lantern) produces essentially the story of the legendary magician. The film traces the path from the Merlin is a boy washed the beach in Wales has no memory and home, has become a young man to learn to use his powers and, finally, a defender of nature and, finally, the director, King Arthur .

The project had already been at Paramount, where Simon Kinberg (Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Sherlock Holmes) took a crack at it. But the option has failed and Warner, looking for a suitable replacement for her series of Harry Potter billion, picked it up with the line attached.

The study found in the search for a scribe to fight against what he hopes is a new tentpole fascinating.

Whitworth had studied at Oxford and worked as a reporter in the Times of London before heading to the west and join UCLA screenwriting. He worked as a reader of the ICM, and last year, Harpo, who gave him time to write in his spare time.

Although Whitworth found representation in the management dress circle of confusion, none of his spec script seemed to take. Yet, he continued to write. "If it did not work, I'd go to the next," says THR / Heat Vision in its 10 year history: "I just try to persevere 's something I wanted to do, even though it was tough.".

Last year, Whitworth wrote the specification, called Powell's biopic on the now retired General Colin Powell, that mixes fact and fiction to tell behind the scenes to take reports of Powell's UN speech because of the war in Iraq.

Manuscript made rounds this spring, generating a notification of development cooperation, and six weeks ago, Whitworth signed WME. This has led to a series of public meet and greet with the directors (the "General" in speed), one of the leaders of the Warner and De Line Productions.

Both companies have made the back-and-comer, and when he found a book regarded as the first Merlin two combine to make a film, the concert was all but sewn. On top of that, tied with Whitworth Barron, also a graduate of Oxford now lives in Colorado, who flew to the closing session.

As expected, Whitworth announced her boss Harpo, which stands for "break". He is still looking for the generals and is now at work writing the script.

"Everyone tells me it will never happen again in this easy," he said.

Something I'm sure that King Arthur said.