''The Blade Itself'' is a 2007 crime thriller novel by

Marcus Sakey Marcus Sakey is an American author and host of the Travel Channel show ''Hidden City''. Personal life Sakey was born in Flint, Michigan, and after marriage he settled in Chicago. Before becoming a writer, Sakey ran a graphic design company, Hin ...

Plot summary

The novel, set in Chicago, is the story of two childhood friends and young criminals, Danny Carter and Evan McGann. Years after their criminal partnership dissolved, like Carter has reformed himself and started a respectable new life, his former partner soon returns from prison to threaten Carter's peaceful new existence with demands of re-teaming.

Reception

''The Blade Itself'' was selected as a ''New York Times'' Editor's Pick and named one of ''Esquire'' Magazine's 5 Best Reads of 2007.

Potential film adaptation

In 2008, director and actor

Ben Affleck Benjamin Géza Affleck (born August 15, 1972) is an American actor and filmmaker. His accolades include two Academy Awards, two BAFTA Awards, and three Golden Globes. Affleck began his career as a child when he starred in the PBS educatio ...

bought the film rights to the novel for his production company. On November 3, 2009,

Chris Pine Christopher Whitelaw Pine (born August 26, 1980) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as James T. Kirk in the ''Star Trek'' reboot film series (2009–2016) and Steve Trevor in the DC Extended Universe films ''Wonder Woman'' ...

was expected to star, Affleck would produce and write a draft of the script, and

Steven Zaillian Steven Ernest Bernard Zaillian (born January 30, 1953) is an Armenian-American screenwriter, film director and producer. He won an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award and a BAFTA Award for his screenplay '' Schindler's List'' (1993) and has earn ...

and

Sam Raimi Samuel M. Raimi ( ; born October 23, 1959) is an American filmmaker. He is best known for directing the first three films in the ''Evil Dead'' franchise (1981–present) and the ''Spider-Man'' trilogy (2002–2007). He also directed the super ...

were in negoiations to direct. In October 2014, Raimi was set to produce the film adaptation without Affleck, with Aaron Stockard writing the script, and

Tobey Maguire Tobias Vincent Maguire (born 27 June 1975) is an American actor and film producer. He is best known for starring as Peter Parker (2002 film series character), Spider-Man in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man in film#Sam Raimi's trilogy, ''Spider-Man'' tr ...

starring and producing the film.

References

2007 American novels Novels set in Chicago {{2000s-crime-novel-stub