Just over a year since its release, “Hollywood Hustle,” the debut novel from “General Hospital” and “Beyond the Gates” star Jon Lindstrom, is being adapted into a feature film.
According to Deadline, which first reported the news, financier, producer and distributor AETH Entertainment has landed the film rights to the novel, with Lindstrom set as an executive producer.
Courtesy of Crooked Lane Books
Set in the dark underbelly of the Hollywood scene, “Hollywood Hustle” is a propulsive and tense thriller set in the seedier side of Los Angeles, where it depicts the bold prose of an insider named Winston Greene, a has-been film star who wakes one morning to find his six-year-old granddaughter at his bedside—traumatized, unattended, and gripping onto a thumb drive. She comes bearing video proof that her mother, Winston’s troubled adult daughter, has been kidnapped by a murderous gang demanding all his “movie money” for her safe return. But they don’t know it’s all gone, long gone.
Unable to go to the police for fear the kidnappers will make good on their promise to kill his daughter, Winston turns to two close friends—a legendary Hollywood stuntman and a disgraced former LAPD detective who used to consult on Win’s cop films. There’s no easy way out for Winston or his daughter—the gang is violent and willing to do anything to get the money they’re after, and Winston begins to realize that to get his daughter back, he’ll have to beat the kidnappers at their own game.
“From the opening pages, ‘Hollywood Hustle’ grabs you and doesn’t let go — it’s a natural fit for an electrifying cinematic experience,” AETH Entertainment CEO Eric Woods said in a statement released to Deadline.
“So much of my career has been spent in and around the film industry, and I wanted Hollywood Hustle to capture the look and feel of that world behind the camera that most people don’t see,” said Lindstrom. “I’ve had the chance to play so many great characters imagined by other writers. It’s going to be a thrill to see the characters I created come to life on the screen.”
In August 2023, Soap Opera Network exclusively unveiled the novel’s cover, with Lindstrom speaking on his foray into fiction writing, saying, “Writing a novel has been unlike any other creative endeavor I’ve undertaken, and I’ve tackled more than a few.” He added, “There are certainly some similarities between how books, movies and TV are brought to the public, but they end there. The biggest difference I’ve seen is the unconditional support the literary world gives to writers!”
The novel was first released on February 6, 2024 by Crooked Lane Books as a paperback. Commenting on the team behind the launch, Lindstrom shared he received “nothing but love and encouragement [from them].”
If you have yet to pick up a copy of “Hollywood Hustle,” you can do so by clicking here, including a hardcover edition. You can also check out our exclusive excerpt from the novel’s second chapter here.
Lindstrom is best known for portraying Kevin Collins on “General Hospital,” although he actually joined the show in 1992, playing Kevin’s nightmarish twin brother, Ryan Chamberlin. By 1993, he began playing dual roles when the show introduced Kevin.
With the continued success of “General Hospital,” ABC commissioned a spinoff, internally titled “GH2,” in the hopes it would help correct sagging ratings in the timeslot preceding “All My Children,” which was previously held by the likes of “Loving” and “The City.”
Christine Bartolucci/Disney
In June 1997, the network introduced “Port Charles,” which saw a few of the parent show’s characters segue into the spinoff, including Kevin, and would often allow for crossover appearances. Later canceled in 2003, Lindstrom returned to “General Hospital” in a recurring capacity until 2004. After a nearly nine-year absence, Lindstrom once again reprised his role as Kevin on “General Hospital,” appearing on recurring status, with Kevin now married to Laura Collins (Genie Francis).
In 2010, Lindstrom received his first-ever Daytime Emmy Award nomination for his portrayal as Craig Montgomery on “As The World Turns,” nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, where he appeared alongside McClain’s Rosanna. He later received nominations for his “General Hospital” work as Kevin in 2019, 2020 and 2023, the latter of which was for Outstanding Supporting Actor.
Last month, it was announced that Lindstrom had joined the cast of “Beyond the Gates” in the recurring role of Joey Armstrong. He made his debut on the brand new soap opera’s Friday, March 7 episode.