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Legendary has just made headlines with what’s being called the biggest book acquisition ever. They bought the movie rights to SenLinYu’s novel, ALCHEMISED, for a staggering 3 million dollars. The seven-figure deal was meant to make sure no other studio could swoop in. SenLinYu shared their excitement with The Hollywood Reporter, saying they felt honored by Legendary’s enthusiasm and couldn’t wait to see the world of Paladia brought to life.
ALCHEMISED started as a Harry Potter fan-fiction. It tells a forbidden love story between Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy, but it’s not clear how much of that original Harry Potter connection will appear in the film. Copyright issues likely mean the adaptation will change the characters and world while keeping the essence of the story.
The novel belongs to the Dramonie side of the Harry Potter fan-fiction world. It explores the romance between two students from rival Hogwarts houses. The story first appeared on AO3, a fan-run archive for noncommercial works.
The deal for ALCHEMISED is reportedly the largest ever for the movie rights to a new book, even before adjusting for inflation. This could set a trend as more fan-fic and novel adaptations start making waves in Hollywood.
SenLinYu has other popular works on AO3, including Manacled, a Harry Potter x The Handmaid’s Tale crossover with over 10 million views, and a Star Wars story following Kylo Ren and Rey. Their success joins the ranks of fan-fics turned movies like Fifty Shades of Grey and the After series, which have gained massive global audiences.