EXCLUSIVE: Banijay-backed Conker Pictures has acquired rights to the debut novel from Eloise Rodger, Death’s a Bitch.
Following what was called “an incredibly competitive international process,” Kim Varvell and Tommy Bulfin’s production house will adapt the book into a TV series. The plan is to take the show to both the UK and international markets.
Rodger’s upcoming debut novel, which is due to publish in 2027, has been directing chatter in worldwide circles, leading to the auction.
Billed as a “coming-of-age novel with a high concept twist,” Death’s a Bitch comes from 22-year-old London-based writer Rodger, who wrote the book in her final year at Trinity College Dublin, where she was a scholar of English literature that has previously been held by the likes of Samuel Beckett. She was co editor-in-chief of Icarus, the oldest arts journal in Ireland, where she published new work from Simon Armitage and Lucy Caldwell.
The book follows Aggie, whose younger sister, Marcie, has been unwell for over a year and on a never-ending waitlist. When Death offers Aggie a job that will allow Marcie to live, she readily accepts.
Bulfin and Varvell, Joint CEOs of Conker, which is part of Banijay UK, said in a statement: “We are absolutely thrilled to have secured the rights to Eloise’s first novel after a fiercely competitive process. It’s a truly outstanding debut novel; bold, clever, funny and a story which deals with hugely important coming-of-age themes in a way that is both incredibly compelling and emotionally satisfying. Eloise is a total star and an exceptional talent; we are beyond excited to work with her in bringing her amazing book to the screen.”
Rodger, added: “I am completely delighted that Death’s A Bitch has found such perfect homes, with Louisa Joyner and Jordan Pavlin and the wonderful teams at Faber and Knopf. I know the screen adaptation is in equally brilliant hands at Conker Pictures, with Kim Varvell and Tommy Bulfin,” added Rodger.
“It is an absolute dream to see the story I’ve been writing since I was sixteen come to life, and I really couldn’t feel any luckier or more honoured. I owe a huge debt of gratitude to my literary agent Eleanor Birne, and film and TV agent, Emily Hayward Whitlock, who have guided me every step of the way and championed the book from its first chapters. I hope that Death’s A Bitch might contribute to our conversations around mental health and growing up, and in some small way, be a source of light.”
The project is a major one for Conker, which launched back in April 2023 with minority backing from Banijay UK, as we revealed at the time. Its founders count credits on the likes of Line of Duty, Normal People, Bad Sisters and Des among them.
The deal for Death’s a Bitch was backed by Banijay Entertainment’s Scripted Fund and scouted by Hannah Griffiths, Head of Adaptations for Banijay UK. The deal was negotiated by Emily Hayward Whitlock at The Artists Partnership.
The post Conker Pictures Lands Hot Eloise Rodger Novel ‘Death’s A Bitch’ appeared first on Deadline.
