SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Salon Media Group (Nasdaq: SALN), a leading new media company announced today that HBO Pictures, a division of HBO, has optioned the rights to Erin Aubry Kaplan's "The Color of Love", an autobiographical essay about a black journalist who falls in love with a white high school teacher accused of racism. The story originally appeared on Salon.com.
Thomas Carter and Richard Rothstein are set to produce the HBO project based on Kaplan's life. Carter and Rothstein have worked together previously on "Trapped in a Purple Haze," an ABC made-for-TV movie. Michael Maren, who initially discovered the story on Salon.com, is slated to write the screenplay.
"It's a great story that lends itself wonderfully to dramatic adaptation," said Priscilla Cohen of Michael Siegel & Associates, the agency that represented Salon.com in the deal. "Students and parents persuade this journalist to cover the story, assuming she'll condemn Kaplan as they have. She comes to interview him and essentially never leaves."
The news of HBO's purchase comes on the heels of Salon's recent announcement that it has secured $2.5 million in new financing from a group of 11 investors.
"Many of Salon's articles are ideal for television and film adaptations and we're excited to see HBO Pictures option these rights," said Michael O'Donnell, Salon Media Group's President and CEO. "We'll be working closely with our representatives, Michael Siegal & Associates and the industry to explore various distribution channels."
About Salon:
Founded in 1995, Salon.com is a leading Internet media company that produces 10 award-winning, original content sites and hosts The WELL, a subscription-based online community. Salon logged 3.8 million unique visitors in July 2001, as audited by the Audit Bureau of Circulations. Over 530 companies have advertised on Salon.com including IBM, Lexus, Microsoft, EDS, Hewlett-Packard, Mastercard, AskJeeves, Virgin Megastore Online, Kimberly Clark, Powell's Books and Intel. In December 1999, Salon.com announced a content and equity agreement with Rainbow Media Holdings, Inc., a subsidiary of Cablevision Systems Corp. and NBC. Strategic wireless distribution partners include AvantGo, Omnisky and Palm.net.
Shares