EXCLUSIVE: Oscar, BAFTA and Tony Award-winner Catherine Zeta-Jones has landed her subsequent high-profile TV mission, an adaptation of Aidan Truhen‘s “gonzo thriller” The Value You Pay.
Zeta-Jones is starring in and producing Kill Jackie [working title], by which the novel’s lead Jack has switched from man to girl for the TV model. The collection is for Prime Video, Fremantle and Metal Springs Photos. Amazon has rights in a number of European territories together with the UK, Eire and Germany, whereas Fremantle is promoting all over the world bar the U.S.
In Kill Jackie, which is able to roll cameras subsequent month, Zeta-Jones is Jackie Value, who has lived a rich, luxurious existence for the final 20 years – travelling the world, promoting advantageous artwork utilizing refined tax loopholes and, above all, making an attempt to remain nameless after escaping a harmful previous as a world cocaine seller. However simply as life begins to really feel somewhat boring, it takes a sudden deadly flip when she discovers The Seven Demons, a squad of the world’s most terrifying hitmen, have been employed to kill her. Taking pictures will happen in Bilbao, Lisbon, London and Swansea.
Kill Jackie comes from Gangs of London scribe Tom Butterworth and Conor Keane (North Sea Connection) and is being directed by Damon Thomas, whose credit embody Killing Eve. Revealed in 2018, Truhen’s novel is written beneath the pseudonym of creator Nick Harkaway. It took a number of years for Harkaway to disclose himself as the person behind the pseudonym Aidan Truhen, which is an anagram of Diana Hunter, a personality from a special Harkaway novel. Butterworth known as the e-book a “gonzo thriller.” “Our ambition is to twist and broaden his world into one thing equally humorous, darkish, crazed and distinctive. Or die making an attempt,” he added.
The function is the newest high-profile TV mission for the embellished Zeta-Jones, who received an Oscar for Chicago. She most not too long ago starred in Disney+’s Nationwide Treasure: Fringe of Historical past and performs Wednesday Adams’ mom within the Netflix smash. She hasn’t been in a film for nearly a decade however is starring in Cathy Yan’s upcoming The Gallerist.
Zeta-Jones stated: “I’m thrilled to be part of Kill Jackie (w/t) each behind and in entrance of the digicam. The chance to deliver this multifaceted character to life, and discover a feminine pushed plot that encompasses empowerment, id, and redemption is one thing I’m trying ahead to.”
The present’s monetary mannequin is an attention-grabbing one and speaks to the way in which by which tasks are getting made within the present panorama. Prime Video and Fremantle are taking an analogous method to Jesse Williams-starrer Costiera, which is able to solely be accessible on Amazon in a couple of territories as Fremantle sells elsewhere. The Kill Jackie deal was spearheaded by Fremantle’s Jamie Lynn and brokered by Rebecca Dundon and Fran Denny.
Fremantle international drama and movie boss Christian Vesper described Kill Jackie as an “irreverent and modern thriller, which is suddenly dramatic, escapist and darkly comedic.” “Catherine Zeta-Jones shines as Jackie, and along with our unbelievable artistic group, twisting storyline and elaborate worldwide backdrop, I’ve little doubt audiences all around the world are going to be hooked,” he stated.
Metal Springs’ Peter Lawson added: “Once I first acquired my palms on Nick’s novel, I knew this mission wanted a group of creatives who shared a darkish sense of humour and a contact of insanity to deliver this crime caper to life. We’re thrilled to have discovered that within the fascinating artistic pressure of Catherine Zeta-Jones, the character-driven hilarity of author Conor Keane and showrunner Tom Butterworth, and the sure-handed brilliance of director Damon Thomas.”
Kill Jackie is co-produced by Fremantle and Metal Springs Photos. The EPs are Peter Lawson and Jose Augustin Valdes for Metal Springs, Dante Di Loreto for Fremantle, Jeffrey Levine, Butterworth, Thomas and Zeta-Jones. Keane created and co-wrote the TV adaptation and is affiliate producer. José Luis Escolar’s Deabru Kalea Filmeak is supervising manufacturing in Bizkaia.
The e-book rights deal was dealt with by the Curtis Brown Media Rights Staff on behalf of Patrick Walsh at PEW Literary. Zeta-Jones is represented by UTA and Ziffren Brittenham LLP. Butterworth is represented by Curtis Brown (Nick Marston and Katie Battcock).