EXCLUSIVE: Oscar, BAFTA and Tony Award-winner Catherine Zeta-Jones has landed her next high-profile TV project, an adaptation of Aidan Truhen‘s “gonzo thriller” The Price You Pay.
Zeta-Jones is starring in and producing Kill Jackie [working title], in which the novel’s lead Jack has switched from man to woman for the TV version. The series is for Prime Video, Fremantle and Steel Springs Pictures. Amazon has rights in several European territories including the UK, Ireland and Germany, while Fremantle is selling around the world bar the U.S.
In Kill Jackie, which will roll cameras next month, Zeta-Jones is Jackie Price, who has lived a wealthy, luxurious existence for the last 20 years – travelling the world, selling fine art using sophisticated tax loopholes and, above all, trying to stay anonymous after escaping a dangerous past as an international cocaine dealer. But just as life starts to feel a little boring, it takes a sudden lethal turn when she discovers The Seven Demons, a squad of the world’s most terrifying hitmen, have been hired to kill her.
Kill Jackie comes from Gangs of London scribe Tom Butterworth and Conor Keane (North Sea Connection) and is being directed by Damon Thomas, whose credits include Killing Eve. Published in 2018, Truhen’s novel is written under the pseudonym of author Nick Harkaway. It took several years for Harkaway to reveal himself as the man behind the pseudonym Aidan Truhen, which is an anagram of Diana Hunter, a character from a different Harkaway novel. Butterworth called the book a “gonzo thriller.” “Our ambition is to twist and expand his world into something equally funny, dark, crazed and unique. Or die trying,” he added.
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The role is the latest high-profile TV project for the decorated Zeta-Jones, who won an Oscar for Chicago. She most recently starred in Disney+’s National Treasure: Edge of History and plays Wednesday Adams’ mother in the Netflix smash. She hasn’t been in a movie for almost a decade but is starring in Cathy Yan’s upcoming The Gallerist.
Zeta-Jones said: “I’m thrilled to be a part of Kill Jackie (w/t) both behind and in front of the camera. The opportunity to bring this multifaceted character to life, and explore a female driven plot that encompasses empowerment, identity, and redemption is something I’m looking forward to.”
The show’s financial model is an interesting one and speaks to the way in which projects are getting made in the current landscape. Prime Video and Fremantle are taking a similar approach to Jesse Williams-starrer Costiera, which will only be available on Amazon in a few 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 global drama and film boss Christian Vesper described Kill Jackie as an “irreverent and contemporary thriller, which is all at once dramatic, escapist and darkly comedic.” “Catherine Zeta-Jones shines as Jackie, and together with our incredible creative team, twisting storyline and elaborate international backdrop, I’ve no doubt audiences all over the world are going to be hooked,” he said.
Kill Jackie is co-produced by Fremantle and Steel Springs Pictures. The EPs are Peter Lawson and Jose Augustin Valdes for Steel Springs, Dante Di Loreto for Fremantle, Jeffrey Levine, Butterworth, Thomas and Zeta-Jones. Keane created and co-wrote the TV adaptation and is associate producer. José Luis Escolar’s Deabru Kalea Filmeak is supervising production in Bizkaia.
The book rights deal was handled by the Curtis Brown Media Rights Team 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).
The post Catherine Zeta-Jones Starring In TV Adaptation Of Aidan Truhen’s “Gonzo Thiller” ‘The Price You Pay’ For Amazon, Fremantle & Steel Springs appeared first on Deadline.
