Canongate to publish Warren Adler’s The War of the Roses alongside film remake
Canongate has snapped up Warren Adler’s classic, The War of the Roses, which it will publish alongside the film remake.
Jamie Byng, c.e.o. of Canongate, acquired world rights to Adler’s comic novel – originally published in the US in 1981 – from Jeff Silberman at Folio Literary Management on behalf of the Adler Entertainment Trust, a production company run by Adler’s son, Jonathan Adler.
The War of the Roses was adapted into the 1989 film directed by Danny DeVito, starring Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglas. A remake – "The Roses" – is set to be released in 2025, directed by Jay Roach, written by Tony McNamara and starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman.
Canongate will publish Adler’s novel in hardcover in March 2025 and then release its film tie-in edition in the second half of 2025.
The synopsis states: "The War of the Roses tells the story of the Roses, starting with their fateful meeting as students, falling in love, and creating the perfect nuclear family. Oliver, a Harvard graduate and successful corporate lawyer, has his sights set on a major promotion while Barbara, a steely self-starter, runs her own catering company which is wowing the upper echelons of Washington DC society. Along with their two privileged children, grand mansion and joint hobby of visiting auction houses, the Roses seem to be the paragon of a family living the American Dream. But then things take an unexpected and shocking course."
Jonathan Adler said: “My father was a master storyteller who deeply understood the complexities of the human condition. Known for his diverse body of work, including 55 novels, 100 short stories and plays, his writing explores universal themes and reflects relationships with a simple, ’no punches pulled’ style, making them even more pertinent for today’s audiences. We are excited to bring this highly relevant ’cautionary tale’ to a new generation of readers and moviegoers.”
Byng added: “I find it hard to believe that this corrosive, twisted, dark and bleakly humorous novel has never been published in the UK. But 40 years on, The War of the Roses has lost none of its narrative grip and shock value, this warts-and-all portrait of a dream that turns into a horrendous nightmare. It’s impossible to look away. The fact that it is going to be remade into a film featuring two of Britain’s greatest actors playing the doomed Roses only adds to our excitement about bringing Warren Adler’s classic novel to a new audience."
