Steven Spielberg Gets ‘39 Clues’

 

Steven Spielberg has just added another project to his busy plate: 39 Clues, a multiplatform adventure series that will launch September 9th and run for two years. It spans a series of ten books, collectible cards, and an online game. The game will actually be designed around a contest, where young participants will try to solve the mystery scattered throughout the books, with a chance to win $10,000.

The focus of “The 39 Clues” is the most powerful family in the world, the Cahills, who count Napoleon and Houdini among their relatives. Readers will be challenged to discover the source of the family’s powers, revealed through 39 clubs that are hidden around the world and scattered throughout history.

First book in the series, “The Maze of Bones,” has been completed by Rick Riordan, who also has outlined the series’ 10-book arc. The adventure kicks off with the death of Cahill clan matriarch Grace, who changes her will at the last moment, giving her descendants the choice between $1 million or a clue.

“The 39 Clues” takes “creative leaps to expand the story experience from the pages of the books to multiple stages of discovery and imagination,” Spielberg said in a statement.

“There is enough material here for three or four movies,” DreamWorks co-chair/CEO Stacey Snider says. “Steven is very involved and passionate. This excites me as an executive but also as a mother. It is an educational, challenging interactive experience that hits kids where they live.”