Spielberg taps Aussie supernatural novel for US series

Steven Spielberg has nabbed the rights to Embrace, a supernatural novel by Jessica Shirvington, wife of Foxtel presenter and Olympian Matt Shirvington, for a series for The CW.

The news is a major coup for Shirvington, given The CW’s success with shows like The Vampire Diaires and Supernatural and is already being hailed as “the next Twilight.”

Embrace was first published in October, 2010, and follows twentysomething Violet Eden, who discovers that she is half-angel and the key to a centuries-old war between fallen angels and their earthly protectors.

Three more novels have followed: Entice, Emblaze and Endless.

Bill Laurin and Glenn Davis (Once a Thief, Awakening, The Listener) will produce, with Spielberg reverting to Amblin Television, in partnership with CBS Television Studios.

Shirvington, 33, told Fairfax today. “I’m stoked,” she said. “The most exciting part is to be able to talk about it because it’s something I’ve had to keep under my hat and I’m not good at that at all.”

Source: Fairfax, Deadline