Earth director to tackle sci-fi adaptation Hyperion Cantos

Scott Derrickson, who directed The Exorcism of Emily Rose and The Day the Earth Stood Still (1 outta 2 ain’t bad, right), is attached to handle the adaptation of the sci-fi novel Hyperion Cantos for Warner Brothers and GK Films, based on a series of novels by Dan Simmons, Variety reported.

The film will merge two of the stories together, namely Hyperion and The Fall of Hyperion, into a project being written by Trevor Sands.

The story is set in the distant future, as a space war threatens the planet Hyperion, known for the Time Tombs, which are large artifacts that can move through time and are guarded by a gruesome monster called the Shrike.

Sands co-wrote and directed the 2002 short film Inside. Recently he’s worked on Dimension’s Six Million Dollar Man and adapted the David Brin sci-fi novel Startide Rising for Paramount Pictures.

Derrickson recently co-wrote the screenplay for Devil’s Knot, which is due in theaters in 2010, and revolves around three teens who are arrested for the savage murder of three young children in 1993, who police speculate were used as part of a satanic cult ritual. He is also directing another religious-themed project titled Paradise Lost, which follows the story of how Lucifer’s failed rebellion in heaven brought about Adam and Eve’s fall from grace.