Film version of 'The Totem' in the works

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NASHVILLE, Nov. 26 (UPI) -- Nashville-based production company Bloody Moon Films says it has secured the movie rights to David Morrell's 1979 horror novel, "The Totem."

Morrell is best known for his book "First Blood," which spawned the "Rambo" film franchise.

Set in a Wyoming ranch town called Potter's Field, the book is about what happens when a virus is unleashed and spreads through the bites of infected people.

"Police chief Nathan Slaughter is thrown into a vortex tunnel of terror trying to unveil why animals become savage, children become insane and the entire town turns into a frenzy of violence," a synopsis said.

"Given its eerie subject, I look forward to the scares that aptly named Bloody Moon Films has in store for audiences," Morrell said in a statement.

"We are thankful for the opportunity to work with Mr. Morrell and his team on production of 'The Totem,'" said Bloody Moon Films co-founder Ben Dixon, the film's director. "I also have my father to thank as well. Several years ago my ailing dad handed me a copy of the book, saying it was a true horror novel and I had to read it. Time passed, but last August fate was staring me in the face. The book was sitting on a shelf by itself, and I grabbed it for a road trip and finished it in no time. Three months later, I had a 170-page draft in place."

Production and cast selection on the $3 million movie project is under way, with filming slated to begin in the spring.