Paramount Pictures Succumbs to a Technological "Daemon"

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From The Hollywood Reporter...

Paramount and Parkes/MacDonald are going digital, putting into development a techno-thriller titled "Daemon" based on the novel by publishing phenom Daniel Suarez.

Walter Parkes and Laurie MacDonald will produce the project, which centers on an iconic game designer who, before he died, set up a program to fight mankind, with the story then exploring the ensuing man-vs.-machine battle.

A daemon is a computer program that runs without the direct control of a human.

A number of Parkes/MacDonald projects have migrated to DreamWorks in the studio's post-Paramount era; the pair is on board to produce the thriller "Motorcade," the historical pic "The Trials of the Chicago 7" and the comedy "Dinner for Schmucks" for the Reliance-funded studio. "Daemon" is among the projects that remained at Paramount.

Suarez originally self-published his novel, but the book became so popular that it caught the attention of mainstream houses, with Penguin Group imprint Dutton acquiring the rights and bringing out the book this month.

A sequel titled "Freedom" is also in the works and has been acquired by Dutton.