Angryfilms options 'Little Brother' novel

Young-adult book is a play on George Orwell's Big Brother

Don Murphy's Angryfilms has optioned "Little Brother," the young-adult novel by sci-fi author and blogger Cory Doctorow, with the aim of translating it to the big screen.

"Brother," a play on Big Brother of George Orwell fame, centers on a high school senior who, after a terrorist attack blows up San Francisco's Bay Bridge, becomes swept up in the extralegal world of Homeland Security. After he and his friends are interrogated and tortured, he is released into a city that is under total surveillance. The teen leads an Internet-fueled rebellion to rescue his friends and free the city.

The book tackles many themes, including civil liberties and social activism, that are close to the heart of Doctorow, a Canadian advocate of liberalizing copyright laws. Despite his offering the book for free on the Internet, "Brother" still hit best-seller charts, boosted by stellar reviews and recommendations from authors including Neil Gaiman.

Doctorow, who co-edits the blog BoingBoing.net, also wrote the novel "Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom."

Murphy and his Angryfilms partner Susan Montford, who are producing, are out to writers and directors.

Angryfilms is in preproduction on "Real Steel," which is heading for a June start, and "Transformers 3," which is eyeing a May start.