In their first deal since former New Line founders Bob Shaye and Michael Lynne found their company absorbed by Warner Bros, the veteran producers have signed on to adapt Isaac Asimov’s futuristic sci-fi epic Foundation - that they’ll produce through their new Unique Features banner.

Warner Bros. will market and distribute according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Asimov was the writer of the collection of short stories that was loosely adapted into the very cool summer blockbuster I, Robot starring Will Smith in 2004, which grossed $347 million worldwide. This series is based on a trilogy of books and it’s presumed that if the first adaptation is successful, the rest will soon follow.

“Foundation” is based on Asimov’s “Foundation Trilogy,” which centers on a society that has figured out how to predict the future based on a method called psychohistory and sets up a foundation devoted to scientific research to protect itself and ensure its survival.

Shaye and Lynne of course found their most success at the beginning of this Millennium with the ambitious Lord of the Rings trilogy but several mis-dealings and terrible project choices such as the over-blown The Golden Compass put their company out of business as a solo company earlier this year.

For Shaye, Foundation is something of a passion project, something he was wanted to make for a very long time. Ten years ago, New Line spent $1.5 million on trying to get the project off the ground but failed which led the duo to make Lord of the Rings. Post-LOTR, Shaye was unable to adapt because 20th Century Fox now held the rights until very recently.

I can’t say I know much about the novel but reading up on it’s Wiki entry it seems epic. They tell me it took him forty years to write the series and the series covers everything from philosophy, politics and lots of different characters.

Anyone familar with this epic series?