CHICAGO, IL, September 15, 2026 /24-7PressRelease/ — Five books by national bestselling author William Elliott Hazelgrove are now under option or in active development for film, marking a major expansion of the author’s work from the printed page to the screen.
Working through Rosebud Productions, the production company formed by Hazelgrove and executive producer Allan Grafman, the projects range from dramatic moments in American history to inspirational family stories and holiday entertainment.
The five properties are:
REAL SANTA
Hazelgrove’s acclaimed Christmas novel follows a father who launches an elaborate plan to prove to his doubting daughter that Santa Claus is real. The book is being developed as the debut live-action film from TaleSphere Studios, the venture launched by AETH Entertainment and Kartoon Studios. A screenplay has been completed.
MY BEST YEAR
This inspirational family drama centers on Paul and Julie Clampet, who search for a school willing to give their autistic son Toby the senior year he deserves. After finding a struggling Indiana school, its teachers and students rally around Toby to give him his “best year.” The feature screenplay was written by veteran screenwriter Barney Cohen, and the project is moving through development and packaging.
DEAD AIR: THE NIGHT ORSON WELLES TERRIFIED AMERICA
Hazelgrove’s acclaimed nonfiction book recounts the creation and chaotic aftermath of Orson Welles’s legendary 1938 “War of the Worlds” broadcast. The film adaptation is being produced by Aimée Peyronnet, one of the producers of Peter Jackson’s The Lovely Bones. The property has been optioned and a screenplay completed.
The book received national attention from the Associated Press, The Wall Street Journal and Air Mail.
MORRISTOWN: THE KIDNAPPING OF GEORGE WASHINGTON
Based on one of the most audacious plots of the American Revolution, the book tells the true story of a secret British plan to kidnap George Washington from his Morristown headquarters. Producer Sidney Sherman and The Thornton Brothers have optioned the property and completed a screenplay adaptation.
CAPONE’S VAULT: THE BIGGEST DISASTER IN TELEVISION
Published for the fortieth anniversary of the infamous live television special, Capone’s Vault reveals the behind-the-scenes story of the night Geraldo Rivera opened Al Capone’s secret vault before an audience of nearly thirty million people—and found virtually nothing. Producer Sidney Sherman and The Thornton Brothers have optioned the book for screen adaptation.
“These five projects could not be more different, but each begins with the same thing—a remarkable story and characters facing an extraordinary moment,” Hazelgrove said. “Allan Grafman and I formed Rosebud Productions to help bring stories like these to the screen, and it is exciting to see this entire portfolio gaining momentum.”
Grafman serves as executive producer through Rosebud Productions, working with Hazelgrove and the individual production teams to guide the properties toward the screen.
“The breadth of William’s work makes this an unusually versatile portfolio,” Grafman said. “These projects encompass history, suspense, family drama, comedy and holiday entertainment, but they are all highly visual, character-driven stories with broad audience appeal.”
Hazelgrove’s earlier screen-development history includes Madam President: The Secret Presidency of Edith Wilson. Michael Moskowitz’s feature adaptation of the book won the 2017 Silver Prize from the PAGE International Screenwriting Awards and was subsequently optioned for development.
Hazelgrove is the national bestselling author of ten novels and fourteen works of narrative nonfiction. His books have received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews and Booklist, along with selections and honors from the American Library Association, Junior Library Guild, History Book Club and the Military Writers Society of America.
His work and career have been featured in The New York Times, USA Today, the Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, the Associated Press, NPR and C-SPAN, as well as on national television and radio.
ABOUT ROSEBUD PRODUCTIONS
Rosebud Productions was formed by author and producer William Elliott Hazelgrove and executive producer Allan Grafman to develop compelling books and true stories for film and television.
Allan Grafman is an accomplished CEO, board director, investment banker, and strategic advisor who has spent four decades helping companies, investors, and private equity firms unlock the value of intellectual property, media assets, and iconic brands. His expertise lies in identifying untapped value in intellectual property and transforming it into scalable businesses, strategic partnerships, licensing opportunities, and successful capital transactions. He has served on over 12 boards. All Media Ventures (AMV) was founded by Mr. Grafman in 1996.
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