Levantine Films Options Muslim YA Novel ‘A Very Large Expanse of Sea’

The production company was behind Sundance standout ‘Blinded by the Light.’

Levantine Films has optioned A Very Large Expanse of Sea, with plans to develop the YA novel as a feature film.

The story, set one year after 9/11, follows 16-year-old Muslim girl Shirin, who, in the face of discrimination, perseveres thanks to a love of breakdancing and her own inner strength. 

Tahereh Mafi, the New York Times best-selling author behind the Shatter Me book series, drew from her own experiences growing up in post-9/11 America for the novel.

Renee Witt and Thalia Daniel will oversee development and production.

Levantine, which produced Oscar nominee Hidden Figures, recently produced a feature with similar multicultural themes, Sundance standout Blinded by the Light. Gurinder Chadha’s coming-of-age drama sold to New Line in a massive $15 million festival acquisition.

Levantine optioned the project from Anonymous Content.