Fremantle, which has a first-look deal with Me+You, will distribute Jamie Scallion's TV adaptation of adult thriller Nines globally.
Krishnendu Majumdar and Richard Yee's BAFTA-winning Me+You Productions (I Am, Alice & Jack) and Marc Forster and Renée Wolfe's 2DUX² (A Man Called Otto, Christopher Robin) have won the screen rights to Nines, Jamie Scallion's debut adult thriller, after a fiercely competitive auction. The novel, already snapped up by Transworld in a major pre-empt alongside its sequel, will be developed as a high-end returning TV series, with Forster (World War Z, Finding Neverland, Quantum of Solace) directing.
Forster’s attachment marks a rare television commitment for the acclaimed filmmaker, whose work spans the James Bond film Quantum of Solace and the $540 million-grossing World War Z to the seven-time Academy Award-nominated Finding Neverland. He will direct the opening block and remain closely involved throughout the series, helping shape its visual language and creative tone.
Synopsis
Meet Nines. Orphan. Pianist. Father. Widower. Killer. On a life sentence in Britain's most secure jail for killing one of the men who murdered his wife. Now he wants the rest of them. And to track down the son they took from him.
In prison his mentor, master forger and zen master Suranga moulds him into the machine that will finish the job. First he builds him, then he must break him out. Once he's free, he must find the gang responsible and deliver on the oath he swore nearly twenty years before.
But the world has changed in the time he's been inside - and so has he. He's become the unseen hunter, stalking his prey before they know they're even being hunted.
Krishnendu Majumdar and Richard Yee, co-founders of Me+You Productions, said: "Nines is a propulsive, funny and unexpectedly moving thriller. A generation of boys is being sold grievance as empowerment, and audiences will thrill to watch Nines take apart the men getting rich from it. We're excited to join forces with 2DUX², and having a world-class filmmaker like Marc directing is a real coup. We can’t wait to work with Jamie on this adaptation of his stunning debut. We believe Nines has every chance of becoming an iconic anti-hero for the screen."
Marc Forster and Renée Wolfe, co-founders and co-CEOs of 2DUX², said: “We want Nines to strike a very particular balance of intriguing, emotional characters juxtaposed with fresh and relevant action sequences that further the depth of the story. What excites us is that Nines feels built for the screen, with a character and a world that can keep expanding. We want season one to feel like an event - and the beginning of something much larger. We're thrilled to be working with Jamie, Me+You and Fremantle on this story."
Jamie Scallion said: "I am thrilled to be working with 2DUX², Fremantle and Me+You on this adaptation. It's incredibly exciting to see Nines begin its journey beyond the page. The team has embraced the characters and the world, and I can't wait to see him unleashed."
Scott-Kerr said: "Sparse, fast-paced and utterly authentic, Nines is a debut that you will never forget. If you can remember how you felt when you met Jack Reacher, prepare to be knocked sideways once again."
Scallion will executive produce alongside Forster, Wolfe, Majumdar and Yee.
The deal was negotiated for Scallion by Eugenie Furniss at 42. The deal for Nines was backed by our first-look deal with Me+You, spearheaded by Raffaella De Angelis, Head of Literary Acquisitions, Global Drama at Fremantle.
