Wolper, WBTV book Wallace rights
 
Deal includes ‘Man,’ ‘Document,’ ‘Almighty’
 
By DENISE MARTIN

 
Producer Mark Wolper and Warner Bros. Television have purchased the rights to 14 novels by bestselling author Irving Wallace for TV and film development.

Sale reps the largest lit purchase for Wolper, who last exec produced an update of Stephen King’s “Salem’s Lot” for TNT.

Titles in the deal include “The Man,” “The R Document,” “The Almighty,” “The Guest of Honor,” “The Miracle” and “The Fan Club.”

Peter Donaldson and Jay Sanders of Donaldson/Sanders Entertainment, who brought the books to Wolper, will produce the projects alongside Wolper. Jerry Biederman and Chris Dane Owens of Biederman/Owens Television also will produce.

“Irving Wallace has said, ‘There are certain men who are satisfied to be sycophants, to dwell in reflected glory, sharing illumination from a bright name.’ I am one of those certain men,” Wolper said. “Who better to share illumination with than Irving Wallace? His books are such perfect movies. You can just shoot the book.”

Wolper is an exec producer on the Showtime skein “Penn & Teller: Bullshit!” Other television credits include CBS telepic “Helter Skelter” and Turner movies “Evil Never Dies” and “The Mists of Avalon.”