We’ve been a fan of Jon & Josh Baker since we met them in 2016. By a lucky encounter, we hosted the Q&A of their stunning debut effort, Kin from Lionsgate. They have talent that can’t be measured and the world is blessed with what their creative minds can offer. This year, they collaborated with ace spy author Thomas Ray on the whirlwind spy thriller “The Blackbird“.
Surprise to no one, the book has become the bestselling title by Ray and has reached bestseller status in its genre for the distributor. So it was only a matter of time before the gritty world they built would/could be brought to screens in compelling cinematic format. And who better than the co-authors to do the job?
If you saw Kin, you know how the focus on character and legitimate stakes leads to a nail-biting chase film led by a small cast with big dramatic payoff. Similar to their 2016 film, “The Blackbird” also shares likeness with Road to Perdition and other pensive, slow-boil but devastatingly dangerous cat and mouse films.
Filmmakers-turned-authors Jonathan and Josh Baker offer their thoughts on this hit novel and the process with Ray:
“Writing alongside Thomas is a pretty effortless process. The three of us work really well together and always get excited about the same types of stories.“
“The bullseye for all of us was creating a quiet tension between two polar opposite characters. Explore the shadowy underworld of hired killers through the eyes of an innocent deaf child, and really allow the reader to sit in the room as an uncomfortable relationship is formed.”
Ray, author of other titles for NeoText, Silencer, The Spy Without a Country and Hazel, says of the project,
“It’s esteeming to work alongside the Bakers. Their talent as storytellers is clear in this book as well as in their film work; they are masterful in whichever medium they play and The Blackbird shows their attention to not just story, but the complexities and humanity of nuanced protagonists.”
The Brothers now aim to continue the success of “The Blackbird” into a film adaptation, and after reading it, it’s clear to see why…it’s all just about how and when.
Their novel is a swift 140 pages, but it is dazzling, surgical and unrelenting; chase scenes feel real, descriptions bleed off the page, and gripping is a gross understatement to describe the thrill ride. The concept, the buildup, and the execution to all of this are just incredible.
“The Blackbird” is available on Amazon and from NeoText.
