Francis Lawrence is back in the dystopia game — this time, with a Martian caste war.
Paramount’s latest sci-fi bet is already casting shadows. The studio has locked down the rights to Pierce Brown’s Red Rising series, with Francis Lawrence — director of all five Hunger Games films, on board to helm the adaptation of the first novel. No surprise there: Lawrence knows how to turn YA dystopias into box office gravity.
But this time, he’s not just directing a franchise. He’s stepping into a world where class isn’t just economic, it’s genetic, and rebellion starts with a face transplant. Darrow, a Red miner on Mars, becomes a Gold through surgical deception, then infiltrates the elite to burn the system down. That’s the core.
The rest? Still in development. Justin Rhodes, who worked on Terminator: Dark Fate and Secret Level, will write the script. Brown himself will executive produce, though his involvement beyond oversight remains unclear.
Production banners are about.blank, led by Lawrence and Cameron MacConomy, with Francesco Goedhuis on board. The deal was first reported by The Hollywood Reporter, confirmed by Deadline and Variety within hours. The book series, which has sold over six million copies globally (per Brown’s 2024 post), spans seven novels, with the final installment, Red God, still pending.
This isn’t the first time Red Rising has been eyed for film, Universal once held rights, and a TV version was floated in the late 2010s. But now, with Lawrence at the wheel, the momentum feels different. He’s coming off The Long Walk, a Stephen King adaptation that landed with quiet intensity.
His next move, Sunrise on the Reaping, hits theaters November 20, 2027. That release date might be a clue: Red Rising could be aiming for a 2028 launch. Meanwhile, Paramount’s slate is stacked, Children of Blood and Bone drops January 15, 2027. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow shoots next year. The Midnight Library stars Florence Pugh and is set for 2028.
So where does Red Rising fit? It’s not just another adaptation. It’s a full-scale reboot of a genre that’s been hungry for something new since Dune. And if Lawrence can make the Hunger Games feel urgent again, this one might just ignite the same fire.
But until casting begins, the only thing we know for sure is that someone’s going to have to look like a Gold while being a Red at heart. And that’s the real test.
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