Donleavy and son to adapt novel for film

The1968 novel, which has been translated into more than 20 languages, follows the eponymous character — a shy and elegant young man who is victim of a bizarre series of misadventures — from his birth into his mid-20s.

Donleavy adapted his novel for the stage and the play ran in London’s West End in a production that starred Billy Connolly and Simon Callow.

Screenplay will be written by Donleavy and son Philip. Robert Mitchell and Giles Andrew from Honora are producing.

It’s the second collaboration for the scripting duo, who previously teamed on adapting J.P. Donleavy’s first novel “The Ginger Man” with Mitchell and Philip Donleavy producing as a potential vehicle for Johnny Depp.

Tankut Eker and Stephen Ananicz of Young Turk Ventures brought the two parties together for development financing of “Balthazar B.” Young Turk Ventures, based in New York City, is a production company involved in raising development, production and P&A capital.