Faith-Based ‘The Ether – Vero Rising’ Set as Movie (EXCLUSIVE)

Hollywood veteran Larry A. Thompson is developing a movie version of recently published faith-based novel “The Ether — Vero Rising.”

Thompson is looking to go into production before the end of the year on “The Ether” as a possible franchise starter. He’s beginning to hold meetings with actors and directors.

The book, the first in a series of three novels by Laurice Elehwany Molinari, centers on a 12-year-old boy who — while living a seemingly ordinary life — discovers his true identity as a guardian angel. He begins his training under archangels and battle the forces of Evil in the Ether, the spiritual realm that surrounds the earth, while still living in suburbia.

Zonderkidz, a division of Zondervan, which is part of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, published the book last month.

Thompson’s a longtime manager and producer on such TV biopics as “Lucy & Desi: Before the Laughter,” “And the Beat Goes On: The Sonny and Cher Story,” “Liz and Dick” and the faith-based Lifetime telefilm “Amish Grace.”

Molinari broke into Hollywood with “My Girl,” written while a fellow at the American Film Institute. She also wrote “The Brady Bunch Movie” and “The Amazing Panda Adventure” and will adapt the script.

Thompson met Molinari while they were working at a carnival held at the Catholic school in Los Angeles that their children attend, which led to a discussion about her book project and to Molinari making a book deal.

“I was stunned at the scope of the story,” he told Variety. “It’s like Harry Potter except that he gets his power from God. I see this as a very commercial project that happens to be faith-based.”

Thompson said that he’s been pleased that faith-based films and TV shows have been gaining traction among audiences in recent years such as Mark Burnett and Roma Downey’s “Son of God,” derived from the pair’s 10-hour miniseries “The Bible.”

Thompson is a longtime manager and was honored last fall with the Talent Mangers Assn. lifetime achievement award. His longterm clients including William Shatner, Joan Rivers, Drew Barrymore, Richard Pryor, Merle Haggard, Tatum O’Neal and Jason Bateman.

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