At least we've gotten more efficient at some things

From Wikipedia:

I Am Number Four is a young adult science fiction novel by Pittacus Lore, the pen name of authors James Frey and Jobie Hughes. The book was published by HarperCollins on August 3, 2010,^[1] and has currently spent 6 weeks on the children's chapter of The New York Times Best Seller list.^[2]

DreamWorks Pictures bought the rights to the film in June 2009; it will be released on February 18, 2011. The novel is the first of a proposed six-book series.^[3]

Back in the old days, you used to have to publish one before they started the film series. By way of comparison, it took James Bond nine years, ten best sellers and the implied endorsement of JFK before it made it to the screen.