Kimberly Peirce to tackle Childhood's End

Queer filmmaker Kimberly Peirce (Boys Don't Cry) is in negotiations to direct a film version of Arthur C. Clarke's science-fiction classic Childhood's End, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The book, originally published in 1953, tells the story of mysterious aliens who usher in five years of peace and prosperity, only to reveal that their plans may mean an end to the human race. Clarke's short story "The Sentinel" led to the 1968 classic 2001: A Space Odyssey, which Clarke cowrote with Stanley Kubrick. "[Childhood's End] is one of the greatest sci-fi stories ever written," said Armyan Bernstein, whose Beacon Pictures will coproduce with Universal. "What's so exciting is combining the book with the brilliant talent of Kimberly Peirce."