EXCLUSIVE: In a competitive situation, Blumhouse Television has acquired the rights to Marisha Pessl’s #1 national bestseller Darkly to turn into a TV series, which will be executive produced by Jamie Lee Curtis through her company Comet Pictures’ first-look deal with the independent studio.
Executive producing alongside Comet’s Curtis are Jason Blum and Chris Dickie for Blumhouse Television and Pessl. Search for a writer to adapt the psychological YA thriller novel.
Darkly was published on Nov. 26, 2024 by Penguin Random House. In it, Arcadia “Dia” Gannon has been obsessed with Louisiana Veda, the game designer whose obsessive creations and company, Darkly, have gained a cultlike following. Dia is shocked when she’s chosen for a highly-coveted internship, along with six other teenagers from around the world. Why her? Dia has never won anything in her life.
Darkly, once a game-making empire renowned for its ingenious and utterly terrifying toys and games, now lies dormant after Veda’s mysterious death. The remaining games are priced like rare works of art, with some fetching millions of dollars at auction.
As Dia and her fellow interns delve into the heart of Darkly, they discover hidden symbols, buried clues, and a web of intrigue. Who are these other teens, and what secrets do they keep? Why were any of them really chosen? The answers lie within the twisted labyrinth of Darkly.
At Blumhouse TV, the project will be shepherded by the division’s incoming President Melissa Aouate who starts later this month.
Curtis’ deal with Blumhouse already has yielded two series executive produced by her, The Sticky, starring Margo Martindale, and the upcoming Scarpetta, in which Curtis also stars opposite Nicole Kidman, both for Prime Video. Curtis is repped by CAA and Jackoway Austen Tyerman.
Pessl won the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize for her debut novel, Special Topics In Calamity Physics. Her books — primarily in the suspense and mystery genres — also include Night Film and Neverworld Wake. They have been translated into more than 30 languages. Pessl is repped by CAA.
