Hello and welcome back to Book News Corner! There’s been a lot of adaptation news lately, and honestly not too much else going on that I’ve spotted.
Nevertheless, there are a few noteworthy stories I want to cover, so let’s settle in, get comfy, and catch up with some of the latest news from the world of books.
Crying in H-Mart Adaptation to be Directed by Will Sharpe
Maybe it’s just me, but I didn’t realize there was going to be an adaptation of Crying in H Mart until I heard the news that Will Sharpe, of White Lotus fame, will direct.
It doesn’t seem like we have too many other details about the project just yet, though it seems it will be a movie. I really enjoyed this memoir and will be interested to see how it translates to the big screen.
(Source: Book Riot News newsletter, linking to Vulture)
Manuscript Thief Reveals Motive and Receives Sentence
This is a story I’ve been following since long before Book News Corner, and it’s a juicy one. An indiviual later identified as Filippo Bernardini used fake email addresses to impersonate agents, editors, and other members of the publishing world to fradulently acquire over 1,000 manscripts.
The manuscripts were never sold or released, leading to a bit of a mystery — why did he do it? Bernardini revealed in testimony that he more or less did it because it made him feel special. Like many a book nerd, he liked having access to books before anyone else did. Unlike many a book nerd, he resorted to fraud and impersonation to get his hands on books before anyone else.
Following this testimony, Bernardini has at last been sentenced. He will not go to jail, but will pay a hefty fine to Penguin Random House and face deportation from the United States.
(Source: Book Riot News newsletter linking to Guardian piece, Book Riot Podcast episodes over the years of this case).
Author Whose Book Inspired Mean Girls Claims She Hasn’t Been Fairly Compensated
Rosalind Wiseman, who wrote the book that inspired Mean Girls, is considering legal action against Tina Fey and Paramount Pictures. The film has seen huge success and been adapted into a Broadway musical, but Wiseman claims she hasn’t seen the profits.
Her contract included a lump sum, plus a chunk of net profits and residual gains. However, Paramount insists sthat due to the expenses incurred during filming and other projects, there are no net profits to speak of. I’m no expert in these matters, but that seems a little questionable to me, and I don’t blame Wiseman for being upset that her IP has sparked so many apparently profitable ventures without her continued compensation.
(Source: Book Riot News newsletter, linking to Entertainment Weekly article)
That’s it for this week’s trip to Book News Corner! Are there any book news stories I missed this week? Let me know!
Your Book Friend 
We were just talking about Crying in H-Mart at work yesterday. One woman said she had that book waiting to be read, then my neighbor talked about how he is a fan of the group, then another woman went and ordered the book, and we talked about doing a book club read for it. The wait time at my library is 174 days. Seems like a popular book
Oh wow, that’s quite a wait time! It’s a great book, although a difficult read at times.
Don’t worry, you’re not the only one who didn’t know about the Crying in H-Mart adaptation! I guess I need to get my hands on it…I wonder how long the holds line is at the library… I agree that it seems questionable Paramount claims to have no net profits to speak of. Mean Girls is iconic and, at the very least, I would assume whatever platform streams it has to license it from Paramount or whatever. (Then again, I fully admit I know very little about show biz ha.)
I’ve heard there are a lot of holds on it right now, which isn’t surprising given how popular the book has become. I really liked it, particularly the audiobook.
That fraud case is something! Can you imagine being able to steal that many manuscripts before being caught!
The manuscript story really caught my eye! I had no idea it was going on.
As a fan of Will Sharpe, I’m excited for this adaptation! It looks like a great story and I can’t wait to see it on the big screen.
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These are all very interesting stories. I am shocked by that manuscript fraud case. Unbelievable. I haven’t read Crying in H-Mart, but I might use an audible credit to pick it up. Thanks for sharing these items with us, Amanda.