Billy Magnussen, Betty Gilpin, Gbenga Akinnagbe & Anna Lambe Latest To Join Sony's 'The Social Reckoning' Early response to the book has been positive, with Shadow and Bone author Leigh Bardugo describing it as “a twisty, mind-bending thriller that will keep you guessing until the final gut punch.” Jurassic Park screenwriter David Koepp praised its “mind-blowing premise and razor-sharp execution,” while Bird Box author Josh Malerman said that “Heisserer has outdone himself.” Watch on Deadline Heisserer most recently served as showrunner, executive producer and writer of Shadow and Bone, and previously adapted the Netflix smash Bird Box that starred Sandra Bullock. Simultaneous will be developed as part of Heisserer’s first-look deal with Sony Pictures. Under that same deal, he is also developing Dissolution, a grounded new sci-fi project based on the novel by Nicholas Binge. The film will be co-produced by Chronology and Temple Hill. Heisserer is best known for writing the screenplay for the 2016 Denis Villeneuve-directed sci-fi thriller Arrival, a commercial and critical success that earned him the WGA Award and Critics Choice Award for Best Adapted Screenplay and an Oscar nomination. Prior to Arrival, Heisserer wrote and produced the horror film Lights Out and made his directorial debut with Hours. His previous published work include 150 Screenwriting Challenges; short stories for the anthology site Popcorn Fiction including Hours, which became the template for the movie, and personal stories he collected from Hurricane Katrina survivors. Simultaneous is his debut full-length novel. Must Read Stories Source: https://deadline.com/2025/10/sony-arrival-screenwriter-eric-heisserer-novel-simultaneous-1236602472/