Screenwriter Howard Overman is adapting The Offset, the debut novel by writing duo Natasha C. Calder and Emma Szewczak, for Urban Myth Films.

Set in a world ravaged by catastrophic climate change, the Offset ceremony has been introduced to counteract and discourage procreation.

On their eighteenth birthday, every child must choose one of their parents to die as a carbon offset for their own life. Reproduction is considered an ecological crime and so for every new birth there must be a death.

Calder Szewczak said “We both loved Howard’s incredible interpretation of War of the Worlds and are hugely excited to see where he’s going to go with The Offset.”

“The complexity and emotional dilemma at the heart of The Offset were absolutely fascinating to me,” said Overman, “It”s such a brilliant concept and I knew immediately that I wanted to adapt this world for the screen.”

Urban Myth has recently been filming the third series of The War of the Worlds and earlier this year completed production on The One for Netflix; both projects are also penned by Overman.