The movie rights for the ‘Fourth Realm’ book trilogy have been optioned by Warner Bros, Deadline is reporting. The studio is planning on starting production right away on ‘The Traveler,’ the first book in the bestselling series by dystrophy novelist John Twelve Hawks.

The ‘Fourth Realm’ series is set in the near future, and reinterprets history as a battle between the forces of control. The series follows several groups of people, including the Tabula, which manages society through constant observation. The group creates a fully monitored society, in which everyone knows they’re being watched, and acts accordingly. They’re watched through such measures as surveillance cameras and centralized databases.

Another group, the Travelers, which is nearly extinct, can project their spirit into other dimensions. The Travelers reject the Tabula’s control. Their opposition reaches down to a couple of people whose lives intersect as the bigger conflict quietly takes places around them.

The Tabula and Trvelers’ story continues in the follow-up novels, ‘The Dark River’ and ‘The Golden City.’ The series has been published in 25 languages and has sold more than 1.5 million copies.

Hawks, who lives a reclusive lifestyle to protect his identity, said in a statement he’s pleased that the trilogy is at Warner Bros. He added the studio has a “history of otherworldly storytelling is so indelible and whose vision for the ‘Fourth Realm’ Trilogy is so inspiring.”

Written by: Karen Benardello