Paramount Pictures has officially acquired the film rights to Pierce Brown’s bestselling dystopian science fiction novel, Red Rising. Director Francis Lawrence is attached to helm the project. Announced on October 16, 2026, the adaptation will bring Brown’s intense color-coded caste system and the struggle of the oppressed Red caste to the big screen.
The Creative Team Behind the Red Rising Adaptation
Francis Lawrence is widely recognized for his extensive work on The Hunger Games franchise, including The Hunger Games: Catching Fire and the prequel Sunrise on the Reaping. He will steer the project as director. Lawrence will also produce through his about.blank banner alongside Cameron MacConomy. Francesco Goedhuis and author Pierce Brown will serve as executive producers.
To handle the screenplay, Paramount enlisted writer-producer Justin Rhodes. Rhodes brings substantial sci-fi and action experience to the table. His previous credits include Terminator: Dark Fate and the Prime Video animated anthology series Secret Level. He previously collaborated with Lawrence while developing Netflix’s video game adaptation of Bioshock.
Exploring the Universe of Mars and the Color-Coded Caste
Published in 2014, Red Rising is set in a future where humanity has colonized planets and structured society into a strict, color-coded hierarchy. At the apex sit the Golds, who rule the solar system. Meanwhile, the impoverished Reds labor away in underground mines on Mars.
The narrative focuses on Darrow, a young Red miner. After suffering a devastating personal loss, Darrow discovers that his people have been systemically enslaved by the ruling class. To enact revenge and dismantle the hierarchy from within, Darrow undergoes a brutal transformation. He infiltrates the elite Gold society and joins an underground rebellion.
The novel launched a massively successful literary saga. Six books have been published to date, including Golden Son, Morning Star, Iron Gold, Dark Age, and Lightbringer. A seventh and final installment titled Red God is currently on the way. In 2024, Brown confirmed via social media that the series had surpassed 6 million copies sold worldwide.
Paramount’s Growing Slate of Literary Adaptations
The acquisition of Red Rising adds another high-profile project to Paramount Pictures’ expanding pipeline of major book-to-screen adaptations. The studio’s upcoming slate features several notable literary titles:
- Children of Blood and Bone: Based on Tomi Adeyemi’s novel, scheduled for release on January 15, 2027.
- Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow: Adapted from Gabrielle Zevin’s novel and starring Daisy Edgar-Jones, currently in production for a late 2027 release.
- The Midnight Library: Based on Matt Haig’s bestselling novel, slated to star Florence Pugh with production beginning next year.
Development on Red Rising is currently underway at Paramount. While no official release date has been announced, the pairing of Lawrence’s large-scale dystopian filmmaking experience with Rhodes’ sci-fi background positions the adaptation as a major priority for the studio.
