Warner Bros. has acquired the rights to Ross Macdonald's novel The Galton Case for a feature adaptation. The Galton Case, first published in 1959, is Ross Macdonald's eighth novel in his series centering on private detective Lew Archer.

The story centers on Archer, who is hired to find the mysterious heir to the Galton family fortune. Along the way, Archer discovers a number of secrets about the family. The studio is currently seeking a screenwriter to adapt The Galton Case, which they believe has the potential for a franchise.

Joel Silver will produce for Silver Pictures and the studio, with Andrew Rona and Alex Heineman executive producing. No production schedule was given for The Galton Case.

Ross Macdonald's character Lew Archer has been featured on the silver screen before. Paul Newman portrayed Archer in the 1966 movie Harper, and again in 1975's The Drowning Pool.