Hollywood sets sights on turning Red Sea book into film

Treasures, Shipwrecks and the Dawn of Red Sea Diving goes to Hollywood

The producers of The Running Man franchise have set their sights on a film or documentary series based on the book ‘Treasures, Shipwrecks and the Dawn of Red Sea Diving: A Pioneer’s Journey’.

Released by Dived Up Publications, the book by Howard Rosenstein documents his incredible life as a pioneer of dive tourism – first in the Mediterranean and then the Sinai, Red Sea.

The production team who have now optioned the rights to the book are George Linder, Ziad Batal and John Ptak, three Los Angeles-based creatives who bring a wealth of experience in high-impact motion picture and television production.

In his book Howard details the extraordinary true story of how modern scuba diving bloomed in the region, starting from a makeshift base in a WWI train carriage on the edge of the desert.

Howard Rosenstein

George Linder, producer said: “This is a powerful, untold story of exploration and risk at the limits of underwater discovery.

“The historical depth and sheer adventure make it perfect for the screen. We look forward to translating this remarkable work into a visually stunning film.”

The deal grants the producer trio the rights to create a documentary that will explore the book’s narrative – Rosenstein’s remarkable first-hand account of pioneering the earliest discoveries and expeditions in the Red Sea. It details how he built an industry from scratch, attracted adventurous (and sometimes famous) guests drawn to pristine coral reefs, and navigated the complex political machinations in an area still technically at war to secure environmental protections for one of Earth’s most important ecosystems.

You can read a review of the book on British Diver. It’s available to purchase now from Dived Up Publications, priced £25.