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Exclusive: Netflix has optioned The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife, with Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster set to adapt the debut novel by Anna Johnston. The scribes brought the book to Netflix and will produce through their Blue Harp banner.

Frederick Fife was born with an extra helping of kindness in his heart. If he borrowed your car, he’d return it washed with a full tank of gas. The problem is there’s nobody left in Fred’s life to borrow from. At 82, he’s desperately lonely, broke, and on the brink of homelessness. But Fred’s luck changes when, in a bizarre case of mistaken identity, he takes the place of grumpy Bernard Greer at the local nursing home.

William Morrow

The writers have won the Peabody Award, the Pen Award and the Humanitas Prize for their work as screenwriters. They’ve also been nominated for the Emmy,...

Exclusive: Jonathan Allen and Amie Parnes’ campaign bestseller Fight: Inside the Wildest Battle for the White House has been optioned for film and television by Aline Brosh McKenna’s Lean Machine.

Published on April 1 by William Morrow, the book is the authors’ latest behind-the-scenes look at a presidential election cycle, this time focusing on the Biden, Harris and Trump campaigns. The book is being developed into a feature to be written and directed by McKenna.

In a statement, McKenna said, “Allen and Parnes have created a thrilling, page-turning, deeply-sourced account of one of the most important moments in recent history, one with which we were all obsessed. The book is populated with vivid characters, revealing moments and is a propulsive yarn filled with twists, all qualities of the movies I love best. They are also two of the most fascinating and insightful journalists working today and I can’t wait...

Exclusive: Author Don Winslow might not be the retiring type, after all.

The prolific bestselling crime novelist “paused” his retirement to write a new collection of short novels titled The Final Score. The deal was made quietly a few months ago, and it is now up for pre-orders on Amazon, Apple and Barnes & Noble. Harper Collins/William Morrow will release the book on September 16.

“I don’t know if I am back for one more book or more,” Winslow told Deadline. “One day I just started writing again and I couldn’t stop. I wrote all of these stories in secret and for the first time in decades without a deadline. It felt good and I feel that two of these stories, Collision and The Final Score, are among the best work I’ve ever done.” Those will be the ones shopped for film and TV deals.

Harper Collins,...

Jimmy Donaldson, better known as MrBeast, is teaming up with James Patterson to co-author a thriller that will be released around the world in 2026. HarperCollins acquired the rights to publish the novel in 15 languages following a highly competitive auction that drew industry-wide attention earlier this year. The collaboration between the world’s most-followed digital creator and one of the best-selling authors of all time marks a significant crossover between traditional publishing and creator-led entertainment.

The story will center on a global competition involving 100 contestants. These individuals are put through physically and psychologically intense challenges in hostile environments across the world. With a grand prize of one billion dollars, the competition pushes participants to their limits as they face betrayals, form alliances, and navigate life-threatening obstacles. Eliminations are part of the process, and some may not survive. The format bears similarities to the high-stakes contests seen in Donaldson’s viral YouTube videos,...

The novel MrBeast and James Patterson are co-authoring will be published globally.

Following a hot auction that we first told you about in March, HarperCollins has acquired rights to release the book in 15 languages.

No financial details were released, but sources previously pegged bids for the publishing rights, which UTA brought to market, in the eight-figure range. TV and rights were also on the block and we’ll see if this publishing deal results in a screen adaptation soon enough.

The untitled thriller will publish in 2026 through HarperCollins’ global publishing program and marks social media star MrBeast’s first foray into publishing. He’s got a superstar partner in Patterson, who is known as the world’s top-selling thriller author.

Synopsis for their novel, which certainly has shades of Squid Game and MrBeast’s Amazon series Beast Games, reads: “In a high-octane, pulse-pounding thriller that only James Patterson and MrBeast can deliver,...

James Patterson and Jimmy “MrBeast” Donaldson are joining forces for a new thriller.

HarperCollins announced Monday that the bestselling author will team with the YouTube creator to co-write a novel set to be published in 2026. The untitled novel will be published by HarperCollins worldwide in English, as well as 14 languages through its Global Publishing Program.

HarperCollins describes the novel as “a high-octane, pulse-pounding thriller.” The synopsis reads as: “100 contestants compete in an extreme global competition as they fight to not only survive dangerous tests held in treacherous locations around the world but also prove their leadership skills. During each of the tests, relationships will grow, betrayals will cut deep, and more and more contestants will be eliminated. Or die. In the end, the one and only winner will receive one billion dollars.”

The novel marks MrBeast’s first foray into publishing.

“One thought has driven my choices for the past...

Exclusive: Sony’s 3000 Pictures has pre-emptively acquired film rights to Miss Archer, the highly anticipated debut novel by Pulitzer Prize finalist and acclaimed playwright and screenwriter Jordan Harrison. Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson of Color Force will produce through their producing deal at Sony.

William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins, won North American publishing rights after a heated 13-way auction from Julie Barer at The Book Group and will publish Miss Archer in early 2027. Harrison will adapt his novel for the screen. Elizabeth Gabler and Aislinn Dunster are overseeing the project for 3000 Pictures alongside Color Force’s Head of Film, Khaliah Neal.

The novel follows Dre, a young woman hired to be a governess, and Albie, the strange boy she is entrusted to raise in an isolated, gothic mansion where all are forced to maintain the illusion that the year is 1884. At first, Dre works hard to embody the role of ‘Miss Archer,...

A Simple Favor and Nerve screenwriter Jessica Sharzer will direct a feature adaptation of Sian Gilbert‘s She Started It, Variety reports.

Released in 2023, publisher William Morrow describes the thriller novel as “Lord of the Flies meets And Then There Were None… but with Instagram and too much Prosecco.”

The story follows follows Annabel, Esther, Tanya and Chloe, once inseparable childhood friends who have since drifted apart. Their adult lives haven’t unfolded quite as they’d imagined, but a shared past and buried secrets have kept them loosely connected.

When they receive an invitation from former classmate Poppy Greer to an extravagant bachelorette weekend on a private island, curiosity, and the promise of luxury, pulls them back together. But the trip is not what it seems. With no cell service, no other guests, and tensions rising, the women soon realize they’ve underestimated Poppy — and each other.

Casting is currently underway for the film,...

I often say to people that The Expanse books by James S.A. Corey is more of a political drama that happens to be set in outer space. There are murder investigations and conspiracies, and the sci-fi element just helps to make it different from the usual political dramas and add another layer of friction and fear.

Once you’ve made your way through the book series — and what an epic series it is — you’ll want to find something else to check out. There's always the TV show, available to stream on Prime Video, but maybe you want to stick to the written word. You need the same mixture of sci-fi story and political thrilling, a story that explores the lives of different types of people living in different parts of the universe.

We have you covered with four great suggestions. Let's get reading!

The Praxis by Walter Jon Williams...

Following the success of Wicked's acclaimed film, the original story is receiving a new comic adaptation to re-imagine Elphaba's journey in a captivating way. A graphic novel has been released that takes the tale the movie is based on and portrays its events in a stunning new format that any fan of Wicked should check out.

Wicked: The Graphic Novel Part I: An Enchanting Graphic Novelization of the Inspiration for the Major Motion Picture takes Gregory Maguire's unforgettable narrative and gives it a visual spin in graphic novel format, as adapted and illustrated by Scott Hampton. The story remains consistent with the 1995 novel, redefining beloved characters such as Elphaba and Glinda with eye-catching art, as seen on the gorgeous cover.

Wicked is currently more popular than it's ever been before, and fans who want to see more of Elphaba won't want to miss this breathtaking adaptation ahead...

The first of the 2025 NAACP Image Awards’ winners were presented in a virtual, non-televised ceremony on Tuesday night.

Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist, which scored nine nominations, won two awards on Tuesday — best supporting actress for Taraji P. Henson and best supporting actor for Samuel L. Jackson. Children’s show Gracie’s Corner also won two awards.

Other notable winners announced Tuesday include Jamie Foxx: What Had Happened Was, which won for outstanding variety (series or special); The Bear‘s Ayo Edebiri, who won for outstanding breakthrough creative (TV); The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat director Tina Mabry, who won for best directing in a TV movie or special; How to Die Alone‘s Tiffany Johnson, who won for best directing in a comedy series, with the award coming just two weeks after Hulu canceled the series following its first season; and Keke Palmer, who won for hosting Password.

The NAACP Image Awards inaugurated night one of its pre-awards show, announcing the first round of winners in 31 non-televised award categories. The show aired exclusively on NAACP Image Awards YouTube Channel. The 56th NAACP Image Awards will air live on February 22 on BET and CBS.

Winners for the pre-awards show included Taraji P. Henson and Samuel L. Jackson, who won for outstanding supporting actress and supporting actor in a Limited TV for Peacock’s “Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist.”

Henson also was another award in the category of Outstanding Literary Work – Children for writing “You Can Be a Good Friend (No Matter What!): A Lil Tj Book.”

Emmy winner Ayo Edebiri (“TheBear”) also won an Image Award in the category of Outstanding Breakthrough Creative (Television), while Keke Palmer (NBC’s “Password”) was awarded for Outstanding Host in a Reality/Reality Competition, Game Show and Marlon Wayans scored the...

Every once in a while, a book comes along that leaves you so stunned that it almost feels like passing through a portal; that hair-raising intuition that you've just read something unlike anything else you've experienced before and have no idea if or when you'll read something like it again. A book that leaves you changed in some way, reminding you of the deep connection between artist and audience and how the stories we take into ourselves form us as people, as cultures, as a species.

Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor is one such book, at least in my very strong opinion. I read this novel over the past few weeks and cannot emphasize enough how incredible it is. Okorafor is best known for writing Africanfuturism and Africanjujuism — sci-fi and fantasy centered on Africa, its cultures, and myths — and has won just about every major award in the...

January is officially underway, and the previous year is fading in the rearview. It's going to be an interesting year ahead to say the least...but one thing we can count on, even in strange times, is that more books will come along to transport us to imaginative dreamscapes and far-off worlds.

There are a lot of intriguing titles on the way this year in the fantasy and science fiction space. Whether you're looking for a wildly unique tale or a return to a beloved fictional universe, a grimdark saga or a cozy fantasies, or science fiction that will melt your brain into a puddle with its inventive concepts, there are plenty of options to feast on in 2025.

We've rounded up 16 of the fantasy and sci-fi books we're most excited to read in 2025. Reading is subjective, and these are just according to my own personal taste. Let us know in...

Joe Hill will publish King Sorrow in hardcover, e-book, and audio book on October 21 via William Morrow.

The 896-page horror fantasy epic is a chilling tale of modern-world dangers, dark academia, and the unexpected consequences of revenge as six friends dabble in the occult and are horrifyingly successful — calling forth an evil entity that demands human sacrifice.

King Sorrow marks the New York Times bestselling author’s first novel in nine years and fifth overall.

The official synopsis reads:

“Arthur Oakes is a reader, a dreamer, and a student at Rackham College, Maine, renowned for its frosty winters, exceptional library, and beautiful buildings. But his idyll—and burgeoning romance with Gwen Underfoot—is shattered when a local drug dealer and her partner corner him into one of the worst crimes he can imagine: stealing rare books from the college library.

“Trapped and desperate, Arthur turns to his closest friends for comfort and help.

A new year has begun, and you know what that means: new books! 2024 was an epic year in fantasy and science fiction, with tons of titles releasing from giants of the genre, debut authors, and everyone in between. 2025 promises to be another great year for genre fiction, and just like last year, we're covering it month-to-month to keep you up to speed on all the most exciting books hitting shelves.

January is a great month for books; there's a sweepingly ambitious literary sci-fi from one of the genre's current greats, a team-up between the daughter of Bruce Lee and the author of The Green Bone Saga, cozy fantasy, LitRPG, vampires, the latest sequel to Fourth Wing, and even a re-release of a modern sci-fi classic to make it more widely available. There's also some intriguing horror coming out this month, and since horror is kind of like the weird spooky cousin to sci-fi/fantasy,...

Spooky Season is finally upon us, and what better time of year to read a horror novel that will have you checking under the bed for monsters, questioning every sound you hear as you’re trying to fall asleep at night, and loading up on garlic and silver than the days before Halloween?

The following are 10 horror novels that hit shelves this year, ranging from demonic hauntings to cursed movie sets to eldritch creatures and more.

1. Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay. | Image: William Morrow.

If you’re someone who is fascinated by the strange and unsettling history of “cursed” and “haunted” movies — think Poltergeist and The Conjuring — then Paul Tremblay’s latest novel, Horror Movie, is worth picking up to read this spooky season.

In 1993, a group of young filmmakers set out to make Horror Movie, a terrifying art-house film lost to time. Only three...

Exclusive: The Black List has named the six projects chosen for the 2024 Writers Lab. Now in its 11th year, the project provides creative mentorship and professional support to up-and-coming feature writers as they further develop their works during a weeklong workshop in Ojai, Calif.

The participating writers and their projects are: Jade Song (Chlorine), Colton Childs (Fake-a-Wish), Caitlin Gallo and Brittany Harris (Last Refrain), Emily Adams (Margot), Danny Hogan (The Preserve) and Theo Wanderydz (Wetiko).

The Black List received more than 1,700 script submissions for the program.

During the Lab, each writer will develop their screenplay through peer workshops and one-on-one sessions with working professional screenwriting mentors, including David Coggeshall (The Deliverance), Kiwi Smith (Legally Blonde), Jonathan Stokes (El Gringo), Victoria Strouse (Family Switch), Michael Vukadinovich (Greedy People) and Scott Myers of the website Go Into The Story.

Below are the 2024 Writers Lab projects and bios of their respective writers:

Chlorine:...

Michelle Pfeiffer is set to star in the upcoming Apple TV+ adaptation of the Rufi Thorpe novel “Margo’s Got Money Troubles,” Variety has learned.

The eight-episode show was ordered to series at Apple back in February after a multi-platform bidding war. Pfeiffer will appear alongside previously announced cast members Elle Fanning and Nicole Kidman.

Per the description of the novel’s plot, it focuses on Margo Millet (Fanning), the daughter of a Hooters waitress (Pfeiffer) and an ex-pro wrestler. Now an unemployed single mother in her early 20s, Margo is struggling to make ends meet, leading her to launch an OnlyFans account. When her father reenters her life, she starts incorporating his lessons from the pro wrestling world into her OnlyFans work, leading to unexpected success.

This is the latest high-profile TV role Pfeiffer has landed in recent months. It was previously reported in August that she is set to...

Update. 12:43 Pm: (Updated with ABC News statement) There will be no presidential debate on ABC for DirecTV customers tonight.

“Unfortunately, DirecTV has rejected our offer,” a Disney spokesperson bluntly told Deadline just now. As talks go on with DirecTV over a new carriage contract and Disney channels remain dark on the service, the Mouse House proposed three-hour primetime carve out for the first match-up between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.

Almost 10 days into the dispute that has seen all of the 16 Disney channels on DirecTV essentially disappear, the satellite cable company today said that it was not interested in making a one-time only deal for tonight’s historic debate. A decision that was made because DirecTV were apparently worried subscribers would get confused.

Related: How To Watch The First Presidential Debate Of 2024: Is It Streaming?

“On Tuesday, Disney requested a unique exception to return ABC-only for tonight because...

Exclusive: HarperCollins imprint William Morrow has snapped up North American publishing rights to a new memoir from Jay Stratton, former Director of the U.S Government’s secretive UFO program, the Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force, who led investigations into Uap and non-human intelligence for 16 years.

Also greatly enthused about this timely title is producer Dan Farah of Farah Films (Ready Player One), which has the rights to produce any television or film adaptation.

During his time working as a senior intelligence official, Stratton led countless investigations of Uap and non-human intelligence, including the now famous “Tic Tac” Uap encountered by Navy fighter pilots and the USS Nimitz Carrier Strike Group in 2004. While much of his work is classified, the memoir promises to reveal all that can be lawfully disclosed, providing a first-hand account of the shocking discoveries, challenges, and breakthroughs that have marked the U.S Government’s investigation and...

Eleven is developing an adaptation of her own “Nineteen Steps.”

“Stranger Things” star Millie Bobby Brown is turning her debut novel into a Netflix feature film. Deadline first reported the news.

Brown will produce the movie under her Pcma banner and aims to star. “The Theory of Everything” writer Anthony McCarten will adapt the novel into a screenplay. Jonathan Eirich will produce for Rideback and Nick Reynolds will executive produce.

When reached, Netflix declined comment to IndieWire.

“Nineteen Steps” is a New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller; the novel was published by William Morrow in September 2023. The book (and soon to be film) draws on the experiences of Brown’s grandmother during World War II.

The story of “Nineteen Steps” follows Nellie Morris, an 18-year-old girl living in East London’s Bethnal Green neighborhood. Nellie must navigate the challenges of wartime life — bombings, rationing, and the emotional toll of...

Continuing her well-established working relationship with Netflix, Stranger Things and Enola Holmes star Millie Bobby Brown is adapting her debut novel, Nineteen Steps, with the high-profile streamer. In addition to producing the feature-length project, Brown plans to star in the movie, which has a screenplay by Anthony McCarten (The Theory of Everything).

William Morrow published Brown’s novel, which became a New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller. Brown partnered with Kathleen McGurl to adapt the story, focusing on Mellie Morris, an 18-year-old girl living in the East London neighborhood of Bethnal Green.

Here’s a synopsis for Millie Bobby Brown’s Nineteen Steps courtesy of Amazon:

It’s 1942, and air raid sirens continue to wail around London. Eighteen-year-old Nellie Morris counts every day lucky that she emerges from the underground shelters unharmed, her loving family still surrounding her.

After a chance encounter with Ray, an American airman stationed nearby,...

Millie Bobby Brown's next Netflix film will adapt her novel Nineteen Steps The WW2 drama follows the story of Nellie Morris, loosely inspired by Brown's grandmother, becoming a New York Times bestseller in 2023. Brown's role as producer in the film, along with her successful track record, makes her a strong choice for the lead role in Nineteen Steps, but her acting has not been confirmed.

Millie Bobby Brown's next Netflix movie will adapt her novel Nineteen Steps. The actor has a long history working with Netflix, including her award-nominated work in the series Stranger Things. She also plays the titular character in the Sherlock Holmes spinoff film Enola Holmes, a film which she also produced alongside its sequel, Enola Holmes 2. These projects were successful enough to give Brown another chance at a producer-actor credit for Damsel, as well as a spot in the production of Stranger Things season 5.

As per Deadline,...

Exclusive: Millie Bobby Brown (Stranger Things) is developing Nineteen Steps, a feature adaptation of her same-name debut novel for Netflix, sources tell Deadline.

Netflix declined comment. But we hear that Brown will produce under her Pcma banner, with an eye to star. Four-time Oscar nominee Anthony McCarten (The Theory of Everything) is set to adapt the screenplay. Jonathan Eirich will produce for Rideback, with Nick Reynolds exec producing for the company.

A New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller published by William Morrow in September 2023, Nineteen Steps is a WWII novel drawing on the experiences of Brown’s own grandmother. Written by Brown and Kathleen McGurl, the story follows Nellie Morris, an 18-year-old girl living in the East London neighborhood of Bethnal Green. Over the course of the book, Nellie navigates the challenges of wartime life, including the threat of bombings, rationing, and the emotional turmoil of being separated from loved ones,...

A new sci-fi series is in development, set to plunge humanity into a race to thwart the end of the world. Legendary Television has acquired the television rights to adapt Seveneves, the award winning sci-fi novel by Neal Stephenson for the small screen, Deadline reports today.

Seveneves follows “how the best scientific minds come to the same conclusion after a meteor shatters the moon into seven pieces: in two years’ time, all humans on Earth will be destroyed by a ‘hard rain’ that will make the planet uninhabitable. In a feverish race against the inevitable, nations around the globe band together to devise a plan to ensure survival for humanity, initiating a new chapter for mankind.”

Cue the ticking time bomb, as nations must band together to devise a plan to ensure the survival of humanity in outer space. Five thousand years later, their progeny — seven races now 3 billion strong...

Exclusive: Legendary Television has acquired the television rights to adapt Seveneves by Hugo Award winner Neal Stephenson. Former Color Force executive Allison Friedman (The Mortuary Collection) will executive produce.

Seveneves follows how the best scientific minds come to the same conclusion after a meteor shatters the moon into seven pieces: In two years’ time, all humans on Earth will be destroyed by a “hard rain” that will make the planet uninhabitable. In a feverish race against the inevitable, nations around the globe band together to devise a plan to ensure survival for humanity, initiating a new chapter for mankind.

Seveneves was published in 2015 by William Morrow. It won the Prometheus Award for Best Novel and was picked by President Obama for his Summer Reading List.

Stephenson, the bestselling author of Anathem, Reamde, and Cryptonomicon, is also a respected technologist and futurist, having been the first employee at Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin...

Rocky creator Sylvester Stallone has penned a memoir called Steps, and it’ll be with us next year. More here:

According to Deadline, Sylvester Stallone has just made a seven figure deal for the rights to Steps, a memoir that is described as “deeply personal” with a narrative shaped by teachable stories from Stallone’s life and career similar to the hybrid memoir/self-help scope of Matthew McConaughey’s 2020 bestseller Greenlights. The book’s title alludes to the iconic running scene outside the Philadelphia Museum of Art from Rocky.

Stallone has been especially introspective lately, with fly on the wall documentary The Family Stallone being a big hit for Paramount+, the streaming service which also hosts crime thriller Tulsa King, in which Stallone plays protagonist Dwight ‘The General’ Manfredi. Thom Zimmey directed the 2023 documentary Sly, which is available to watch on on Netflix.

UTA Publishing sold the book to William Morrow,...

If you go back and watch the original Rocky trailer from 1976, the narrator (some of whom would give poetic-like voice-overs in older trailers) would say, “His name is Sylvester Stallone. But you will always know him as Rocky.” There couldn’t have been a more prophetic statement as although Stallone would go on to have an iconic career with many classics as many characters, he is forever referred to as Rocky. While the recent Netflix documentary Sly gave audiences an insight into the career and personal recollections of Sylvester Stallone, the action legend will be releasing his memoir, which is due for publication in 2025.

Deadline has revealed that the memoir, The Steps, was the subject of a heated auction and the bidding war crowned William Morrow – a Harper Collin imprint — as the winner. Sources say that while it wasn’t revealed what the final price came down to, negotiations concluded around a seven-figure sum.

Exclusive: After what was described to us as a “heated” auction, William Morrow has nabbed the rights to The Steps, a new memoir penned by veteran actor and three-time Oscar nominee Sylvester Stallone.

William Morrow – a HarperCollins imprint – will publish the memoir in the U.S. next year. The book was sold by UTA to Mauro DePreta at William Morrow. All parties declined to discuss financial terms, but sources told us negotiations concluded around a seven-figure sum.

The Steps was one of the hottest titles at this year’s buzzy, Hollywood-powered London Book Fair. Nonfiction heads from all of the publishing industry’s biggest houses chased the project based on the strength of a passage from a sample proposal written by Stallone. We understand that Stallone took less money to team up with DePreta and William Morrow because of their enthusiasm for the project.

The book has been described as...

Jennifer Weiner, the author of the Good in Bed novel being produced by Mindy Kaling for Max, has signed with Verve for film and TV representation.

The bestselling author, backed by Verve, will look to future screen adaptations of her library titles as they find new audiences. In all, she has written 21 books, with 11 million copies printed in 36 languages.

“I’m thrilled to be working with Verve. I am so impressed by the energy and passion of the team, and excited about the possibilities of sharing my stories with audiences around the world,” Weiner said in a statement Friday.

Good in Bed, Weiner’s literary debut, is in development with Kaling to star in and produce along with Good Fear Content, with the novel’s writer executive producing. The semi-autobiographical story centers on an up-and-coming journalist in Philadelphia who deals with shaky self-esteem, a fresh-out-of-the-closet mom, an absent father and...

On June 4, 2024 William Morrow is thrilled to present The Hidden History Of The White House: Power Struggles, Scandals, and Defining Moments by Corey Mead, with a foreword by bestselling author Kate Andersen Brower. Inspired by Wondery’s popular podcast American History Tellers, The Hidden History Of The White House shares the untold stories of some of the most climactic moments in American history in the rooms where they happened.

For more than two centuries, The White House in Washington, D.C., has been the stage for some of the most dramatic scenes in American history. Its walls and portraits have witnessed fierce power struggles, world-altering decisions, shocking scandals, and unforgettable meetings.

In the signature style of Wondery’s hit American History Tellers podcast featuring narrative storytelling putting listeners in the moment and blending unique perspectives from both powerful and everyday people, The Hidden History Of The White House places readers...

Filmmaking duo Veronika Franz And Severin Fiala, best known Goodnight Mommy, which was Austria’s 2014 entry for Best Foreign Language Film Oscar, and the Riley Keough-led The Lodge, have signed on to direct the horror feature A Head Full of Ghosts. Production is set to begin later this year.

Fifth Season is financing development and production of the pic. Producers are Daniel Dubiecki and Lara Alameddine from The Allegiance Theater, Susan Downey and Robert Downey Jr. for Team Downey, and David Gambino. The film is an adaptation of Paul Tremblay’s Bram Stoker Award-winning novel of the same name.

The film’s logline reads: The Barretts’ normal suburban New England life is torn apart when their teenage daughter shows signs of acute schizophrenia, reluctantly leading them to be the subjects of a reality show “The Possession.” Fifteen years later, Merry faces her family’s haunting past when a journalist...

“A Head Full of Ghosts,” an adaptation of Paul Tremblay’s Bram Stoker Award-winning novel, will be directed by Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala.

The horror feature will be adapted and directed by Franz and Fiala, the filmmaking duo best known for horror-thriller hit, “Goodnight Mommy,” which was selected as Austria’s 2014 Oscar entry, and the Riley Keough-led “The Lodge,” which premiered at Sundance and was acquired by Neon in 2019. Their next film, “The Devil’s Bath,” is competing for the Golden Bear at the ongoing Berlin Film Festival.

The film is produced by Team Downey and The Allegiance Theater. Fifth Season is financing development and production. Producers are Daniel Dubiecki and Lara Alameddine from The Allegiance Theater, Susan Downey and Robert Downey Jr. for Team Downey, and David Gambino.

The story follows the Barretts, whose normal suburban New England life is torn apart when their teenage daughter shows signs of acute schizophrenia,...

Darius Rucker has turned the soundtrack of his life into a book. The country musician has announced his first memoir, Life’s Too Short, set for release on May 28, structured around 23 songs that have been transformative during his career.

“This book is the story of my life as told through 23 songs that took me away, soaring, starting at ground level, living in a poor but happy home, never wanting for much more, enjoying what I had, even when times got tough, because I had my escape, my refuge, my music,” Rucker said in a statement.

Apple has won a bidding war for Margo’s Got Money Troubles.

The streamer has handed out an eight-episode, straight-to-series order for the drama from David E. Kelley that comes with Elle Fanning and Nicole Kidman attached to star. Margo is based on the forthcoming novel by Rufi Thorpe that landed with producers A24 after a bidding war in October for rights to the book. Kidman, Fanning — who will star as Margo — and her sister, Dakota Fanning, will also exec produce the series alongside Kelley, who serves as showrunner and reunites with the streamer following the upcoming Presumed Innocent (which he exec produces alongside J.J. Abrams).

As The Hollywood Reporter exclusively revealed in October, Margo’s Got Money Troubles had more than a dozen companies competing for the rights to the book about controlling your own narrative. Set for publication in June via HarperCollins imprint William Morrow, it revolves around Margo Millet,...

The series adaptation of the upcoming novel “Margo’s Got Money Troubles” has landed a straight-to-series order at Apple TV+ in a competitive situation.

Elle Fanning will lead the series alongside Nicole Kidman, with David E. Kelley attached to write and showrun. A24 is the studio.

The novel, written by Rufi Thorpe, is due to be published in June 2024 by William Morrow. Per the description of the novel’s plot, it focuses on Margo Millet (who will be played by Fanning), the daughter of a Hooters waitress and an ex-pro wrestler. Now an unemployed single mother in her early 20s, Margo is struggling to make ends meet, leading her to launch an OnlyFans account. When her father reenters her life, she starts incorporating his lessons from the pro wrestling world into her OnlyFans work, leading to unexpected success.

Apple has given the series an eight episode order. Kelley will serve as writer,...

Margo’s Got Money Troubles, a hot series package that will star Elle Fanning and Nicole Kidman, has landed at Apple TV+ with a straight-to-series order.

Fanning, who is the lead, and Kidman will both exec produce the eight-part series, which is set in the world of OnlyFans with a wrestling twist, alongside David E. Kelley and Dakota Fanning with A24 as the studio.

Deadline understands that the streamer outbid a number of other companies, including Netflix, for the rights to the series, which is based on Rufi Thorpe’s upcoming book.

Elle Fanning is set to star as Margo Millet, the child of a Hooters waitress and an ex-pro wrestler, who has always known she’d have to make it on her own. So she enrolls at her local junior college, even though she can’t imagine how she’ll ever make a living. She’s still figuring things...

“The View” co-host Sunny Hostin is taking a little more time to enjoy the TV milleu.

The multi-hyphenate is in the early stages of developing her first novel, “Summer on the Bluffs,” as a television series for Amazon MGM Studios. The series will be produced by Sunny Hostin Productions, Amazon MGM Studios and Octavia Spencer’s Orit Entertainment.

The book, published by William Morrow in 2021, follows the tales of three godsisters and their godmother, as well as the rich history of Oak Bluffs, an exclusive historically Black beach community in Martha’s Vineyard. The novel explores personal journeys, hidden secrets and the transformative power of heritage.

Elizabeth Hunter will adapt the novel for television and serve as executive producer and showrunner. She is known for films “Jumping the Broom” (2011) and “The Fighting Temptations.”

“Summer on the Bluffs” reps the first installment of Hostin’s summer trilogy. The book became an...

Amazon MGM Studios have landed rights to Benjamin Percy’s novella “American Criminal,” with Gavin O’Connor negotiating to direct.

The film, which Hidden Pictures and NeoText will produce, follows a professional thief who, after being apprehended by an FBI agent, is coaxed into infiltrating a violent Midwestern gang with the goal of dismantling them from the inside. However, what the FBI agent doesn’t know is that the thief is also orchestrating the largest – and last – heist of his life.

O’Connor has directed a number of popular and critically acclaimed works, including “Warrior” with Joel Edgerton and Tom Hardy, “The Accountant” with Ben Affleck, “Miracle” with Kurt Russell, and “Tumbleweeds,” which featured an Oscar-nominated turn from Janet McTeer. He most recently retimed with Affleck on 2020’s “The Way Back,” the story of an alcoholic basketball coach.

Percy is the author of seven novels — including “The Sky Vault,” published this...

Chernin Entertainment has landed the rights to the latest novel from Matthew Quirk, the author behind the book that was adapted into popular Netflix series The Night Agent.

Inside Threat, which was published this week by William Morrow, takes place after an attack on the White House, and as the synopsis for the book reads: “The President and his top aides take shelter in a top-secret government facility buried deep underground—but they soon discover the threat is locked inside with them.”

Said Quirk, “It’s my go at a Die Hard or Seven Days in May plot with an Agatha Christie-style locked room mystery thrown in. I’m absolutely thrilled to be working with everyone at Chernin Entertainment and can’t wait to see these characters on the big screen.”

The Netflix adaptation of The Night Agent, which stars Gabriel Basso and Hong Chau, has proven popular on the streamer,...

Darby Kane’s bestselling suspense novel Pretty Little Wife is getting the small screen treatment. Amazon Studios is developing a series based on the book with Gabrielle Union set to star and executive produce. Meredith Lavender, Marcie Ulin and Kristen SaBerre will write and executive produce the project for Prime Video, from A+E Studios and Range Media Partners.

Based on Kane’s international bestseller, Pretty Little Wife is a cat-and-mouse thriller with a pulpy edge and some sexy soap that centers around two brilliant — and very different — Black women: Lily, the pretty little wife suspected of murdering her husband, and Ginny, the detective on the case. Upon entering each other’s lives, they begin to crack open each other’s façade to reveal what really lies beneath.

Project is executive produced by Barry Jossen and Tana Jamieson for A+E Studios, Range Media Partners and Union via her I’ll...

Jennifer Hudson, Trevor Noah and Viola Davis are among the winners from the second night of the NAACP Image Awards‘ non-televised ceremonies.

Hudson won for hosting her eponymous daytime talk show, while the Noah-hosted Daily Show won best variety or game show series or special and Davis, just a little over two weeks after achieving Egot status with her Grammy win, took home the award for best literary work, non-fiction for Finding Me.

Other high-profile winners Tuesday night, which featured literary, variety show, reality program and news information categories, include Michael K. Williams and Jon Sternfeld’s Scenes from My Life and Stacey Abrams for outstanding literary work – children for Stacey’s Remarkable Books, written with Kitt Thomas.

Additionally, Lizzo’s reality TV series Watch Out for the Big Grrrls added to its trophy collection, winning best reality program, competition or game show series. And Robin Roberts’ conversation with Michelle Obama...

Exclusive: HBO Max, the BBC and A24 have won the rights to co-develop one of the most highly-anticipated British debuts of the coming year – Slay in Your Lane scribe Yomi Adegoke’s The List.

In what Deadline understands was a highly-competitive situation that attracted the interest of some of the UK’s top drama production houses, A24’s Piers Wenger and Rose Garnett-led international team won out and is in early-stage development on a TV adaptation for the British public broadcaster and U.S. streamer. Adegoke is creating and exec producing.

Due to be published in July, The List follows Ola Olajide, a high-profile journalist at Womxxxn magazine about to marry the love of her life, Michael. The couple seem to have it all but one morning they wake up to the same message: “Oh my god, have you seen The List?”

Adegoke is a columnist, journalist, former Forbes...

Exclusive: Showtime is developing All Her Little Secrets, a one-hour limited series drama based on Wanda M. Morris’ bestselling novel, starring and executive produced by Emmy winner Uzo Aduba. The project hails from writer Aurin Squire (Evil) who penned the pilot, Deniese Davis’ Reform Media Group and CBS Studios, where both Aduba and Squire are under overall deals.

The limited series, based on Morris’ novel, centers on Ellice Littlejohn (Aduba), a Black female lawyer rising to the top of the corporate ladder. When she gets caught up in an affair and a mysterious conspiracy that puts her at risk of being the primary suspect and the next target, Ellice’s perfect façade starts to crumble as she scrambles to hold onto all she has earned, protect her family and stay alive. Timely themes of race, class, gender and power are explored in this fast-paced, mystery thriller.

Squire executive produces with...

After a decade-plus of having the streaming field virtually to itself, Netflix now faces historic levels of competition. Disney and other media and tech rivals have narrowed the gap, making for a rocky 2022 marked by subscriber and stock price declines.

Yet Netflix has one thing its competitors will never have, and that’s the status of O.G. The company, which celebrates the 25th anniversary of its incorporation today, transformed the media business, consumer entertainment and culture at large. Not for nothing has its name become a verb.

As it touts the anniversary, Netflix has released a commemorative trailer (watch it above) and blog post, and promises to share nostalgic photos and other memories from the company’s DVD-by-mail origins across social media throughout the day.

In that throwback spirit, Deadline offers a tour through Netflix’s origin story, via an excerpt from Binge Times, a book co-written by this reporter and Dawn Chmielewski.

Summer is a time for light reading. Well, in theory. If you are a hardcore film lover it’s also a time for deep dives into complicated classics like Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me and Zodiac, laser-eyed explorations of the early works of David Cronenberg, and loving odes to the insanity of Cannon Films.

Our latest column has all these and more, starting with the most eagerly awaited cineamtic novel of the year. And for other essential cinema reads, visit David Bordwell’s website, which now offers a collection of books written by him and Kristin Thompson for free. Take advantage of these, my friends. And while it is not available for purchase, I urge you to do some digging to find Neon’s Petite Maman: A Story by Céline Sciamma, a 32-page illustrated children’s book of Sciamma’s film lovingly illustrated by Desi Moore (with design by...

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Author Julia Quinn and Shonda Rhimes are teaming for a Bridgerton prequel novel.

Avon Books, an imprint of the William Morrow Group at HarperCollins, has acquired North American rights to a collaborative novel written by Bridgerton author Quinn and Rhimes, who executive produces the Netflix original series, it was announced Thursday.

The novel will be based on Rhimes’ upcoming spinoff series that will chronicle the rise of Queen Charlotte and detail “how the young Queen’s marriage to King George sparked both a great love story and a societal shift, creating the world of the Ton inherited by the characters in Bridgerton.”

The book’s publication will be timed to the release of an eight-episode Netflix series — ordered to series last year — that will star India Amarteifio as the younger version of Charlotte. Golda Rosheuvel, who portrays Queen Charlotte on Bridgerton, will reprise...

Exclusive: Australian author Dervla McTiernan, whose last two novels were international bestsellers, is making a splash on these shores with The Murder Rule, a thriller novel being published tomorrow by William Morrow. McTiernan has just optioned the novel to FX.

The book focuses on an idealistic law student, who is an outsider to her peers. Working with her elite campus’ prestigious Innocence Project represents the high point of everything she’s sacrificed for, but in a twisted mother/daughter story, she soon reveals that underneath her do-gooder image lies rules pounded into her by mom. The last one is, make them pay. The author’s past novels include The Good Turn and The Sisters.

Her deal was brokered by Shane Salerno of The Story Factory.

DeuxMoi is getting into the TV business—and that's no gossip. The upcoming debut novel from massively popular and influential Instagram account DeuxMoi, which pumps out celebrity gossip to its 1.5 million followers, has gotten a script-to-series order at HBO Max, E! News confirms, which means that if the network likes the script, it will skip the typical pilot process. The book, titled Anon Pls and written by DeuxMoi with New York Times bestselling author Jessica Goodman, will be published Nov. 8 by William Morrow, a division of HarperCollins. The title refers to DeuxMoi contributors' frequent request for anonymity when submitting their gossip. In the book, "Cricket Lopez, assistant to...