News > Spielberg Examines "39 Clues"

Steven Spielberg's DreamWorks has picked up the rights to "The 39 Clues," described by Variety as "a multi-platform adventure series" from Scholastic Media. Spielberg may even be looking at the property as a potential directorial vehicle. 

"The 39 Clues" is the overall name for a forthcoming ten books that will be released over the course of two years. There will be all sorts of merchandise tied-in to the books which will help readers solve the mystery and potentially win the grand prize of $10,000. The contest will likewise run for two years.

The first book by Rick Riordan, "The Maze of Bones" coming out on September 9th, "kicks off with the death of Cahill clan matriarch Grace, who changes her will at the last moment, giving her descendants the choice between $1 million or a clue." The fictional Cahill clan is said to be the most powerful family in the world, counting Napoleon and Harry Houdini among their ranks.

Obviously this is all very clever marketing and merchandising, and I'm sure a lot of kids will get into it, but in the age of the internet, what's to stop someone from solving the big puzzle and sharing it with everyone on Earth? After a certain point, when everyone knows the answer, they must just be planning to do some sort of random lottery to choose the grand prize winner.

This project is still a good ways off. Spielberg has "Abraham Lincoln" and his portion of the "Tintin" trilogy to direct this year, so this will most likely be something he gets to work on in 2009, if at all.

-DM