Spielberg & Crichton's final collaboration

USA Today is reporting that Steven Spielberg plans to reunite with the late Michael Crichton for one last collaboration, the adaptation of the as-yet-unpublished final novel of Crichton, Pirate Latitudes. Described as "an adventure story set off the coast of Jamaica in 1665," Spielberg is set to produce and possibly direct the film adaptation of the novel, which is set for release in November.

Spielberg and Crichton have worked together several times, most notably on 1993's Jurassic Park and its first sequel. They also co-produced the massive TV hit, ER, and 1996's Twister.

Though far from perfect, I have very fond memories of Jurassic Park, both as a movie and a book. I distinctly remember reading the book the first time as a young teenager and being fascinated by it; it remains one of my all-time favorite reads. The movie was disappointing when compared to the book, but had some then-groundbreaking visual effects and some terrific set-pieces. (The Lost World was disappointing on almost every level.)

I was just talking about Crichton the other day with my friend John, and we agreed that Crichton's later novels grew progressively profane and dull. But some of his earlier novels, including Congo and Sphere, were fantastic books. I didn't care for Timeline or Prey, and never read Next or State of Fear. That said, Crichton was clearly a brainy talent, and I'm encouraged that Spielberg has found some promise in the author's final novel. I can't wait to see how it turns out.