Harper Lee Book Could Also Mean a 'Mockingbird' Movie Sequel

NEW YORK — Feb 3, 2015

By JAKE COYLE AP Film Writer - ABC News

 In this 1962 file photo originally released by Universal, actor Gregory Peck is shown as attorney Atticus Finch, a small-town Southern lawyer who defends a black man accused of rape, in a scene from "To Kill a Mockingbird," based on the novel... View Full Caption AP

FILE - In this 1962 file photo originally released by Universal, actor Gregory Peck is shown as attorney Atticus Finch, a small-town Southern lawyer who defends a black man accused of rape, in a scene from "To Kill a Mockingbird," based on the novel by Harper Lee. Lee and her publisher announced Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2015, that this summer they’ll release the 88-year-old author’s second book, “Go Set the Watchmen,” a kind of sequel to “To Kill a Mockingbird.” (AP Photo/Universal, File) Close AP

The movie version of "To Kill a Mockingbird" is the rare adaptation as beloved as its source material.

So when Harper Lee and her publisher announced Tuesday that this summer they'll release the 88-year-old author's second book, "Go Set the Watchmen," a kind of sequel to "To Kill a Mockingbird," the shockwaves were felt almost as much in Hollywood as they were in the book world.

The movies, after all, love a sequel. And rare is the chance to follow up one of the most iconic American films, half a century later.

If Lee agrees to sell the movie rights of her new book, it can be expected to be one of the most eagerly sought novels for optioning to the big screen. Particularly since Lee said Tuesday that "Go Set the Watchman" follows her young heroine, Scout, into adulthood, it's sure to be feverishly pursued by producers. It's likely to spark a bidding war well before it lands on book shelves July 14.

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