September 23, 2009

Cody penning ‘Sweet Valley High’ movie

U.S. scribe Diablo Cody is writing and producing a big-screen adaptation of the beloved Sweet Valley High series of books, industry sources say.

Cody won an Oscar for her Juno screenplay. She also penned the current release Jennifer's Body, as well as the pilot for the Showtime series The United States of Tara.

Variety said Universal hired her to write a script based on the young adult book series created by Francine Pascal and set in an idyllic California town.

The novels are about 16-year-old twins, who are both bright and beautiful, but who have very different personalities -- Elizabeth is loyal, responsible and studious, while her sister is a popular, shallow schemer.

More than 150 installments in the series were published between 1983 and 2003. A TV series based on the books also ran from 1994 to 1997, Variety noted.