Sony Pre-empts 190-Page Medieval Spec from First-Time Writers Who Refused to Cut It

Sony paid near seven figures to pre-empt "The Ballad of the Ember Knight," a Hundred Years' War epic and the first script siblings Kieran and Brennan O'Dea have sold, Deadline reported on 2026-08-10. The spec ran 190 pages — nearly 80 above the feature norm. The brothers declined to cut it or pivot to television. CAA and Kaplan Perrone brokered the deal; no director or cast is set.