We learned today that producer-director Mark Steensland and screenwriter Rick Hautala have acquired the screen rights to James Newman’s forthcoming novel Animosity via their newly formed Chang Shao Trading Company shingle. Scheduled for publication in mid-2009 from Necessary Evil Press, “Animosity” tells the story of a horror author whose neighbors grow suspicious of him after he discovers the body of a young girl who has been murdered.
This will mark the duo’s first feature collaboration, having previously made a string of successful short films (including “Lovecraft’s Pillow,” based on a Stephen King idea, “Dead@17,” based on Josh Howard’s graphic novel series now in development with producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura, “Peekers,” which collected five awards in more than 25 festival appearances and “The Ugly File,” based on the Ed Gorman story). Steensland and Hautala also have a Web series in development with Electric Farm Entertainment, producers of Rosario Dawson starrer “Gemini Division.”

“[`Animosity’] is a classic `pressure-cooker’ kind of story,” said Steensland, “like `Straw Dogs’ or `The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street.’ What makes it both relevant and timeless is that these are real people in a very plausible situation.”

Newman is the author of two other novels, “Midnight Rain” and “The Wicked.” Hautala is the author of more than 30 best-sellers, including “Night Stone” and “Little Brothers.” Steensland has previously directed features “The Last Way Out” and docu “The Gospel According to Philip K. Dick.”