The Shack author hopes to turn bestseller into movie

William Paul Young has confirmed his hope to turn his bestselling book The Shack into a feature film.

There has been speculation for some time that the immensely popular book, about a man who discovers God at the place of his daughter’s murder, would be made into a film.

He told World Net Daily that he started work on a screenplay but admitted he was in “no rush” to get The Shack to the theatres.

He also denied that any production company had been taken on for the project.

“Nothing at all has happened with regard to the movie,” he told WND. “Anyone who has attached themselves to such a project are incorrect. Currently I am working on the screenplay but have not begun any of the anticipated process of getting it to the screen.”

The Shack tells the story of Mackenzie Philips and how he recovers his faith in God after the abduction and murder of his youngest daughter. The book was controversial in its portrayal of God as an African American woman, Jesus Christ as a Middle Eastern carpenter, and the Holy Spirit in the form of an Asian woman.

The book nonetheless went on to sell over 12 million copies and been a New York Times bestseller for the last two years.

Young is embroiled in a legal battle with book publisher Hachette and his former business partners and friends Wayne Jacobsen and Brad Cummings, who discovered the book and created Windblown Media to publish.

Young launched a lawsuit against the three last year, claiming that he is owed $8 million in lost royalties and attempting to terminate Windblown’s right to publish and distribute The Shack.