Paramount TV Studios Acquires Rights to Upcoming Novel ‘Dead Money,’ ‘Billions’ Alum Beth Schacter Set as Showrunner (EXCLUSIVE)
Paramount Television Studios has acquired the rights to Jakob Kerr’s upcoming debut novel “Dead Money,” Variety has learned exclusively.
The rights for the book were sold to the studio in a seven-figure deal following a bidding war. The book will be published by Ballantine, an imprint of Penguin Random House, in summer 2024.
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Beth Schacter, previously the co-showrunner on “Billions” and the showrunner of “Super Pumped, will serve as showrunner and executive producer on “Dead Money.” Kerr will also executive produce along with Allie Goss of Brillstein.
According to the official description, the book “follows Mackenzie Clyde, an ‘investigator’ (some may call her a fixer) for San Francisco’s preeminent venture capital firm. When the controversial founder of tech’s hottest startup, Journy, is found murdered in his office, Mackenzie’s boss attaches her to the case. Her directive: hunt down the founder’s killer and—more importantly—free up the billions of ‘dead money’ frozen in his will. As the investigation ensues, one-by-one the Journy executives emerge as suspects, their alibis growing increasingly fickle. But Mackenzie is not the only one hunting for the killer, and before long she’s thrust into a deadly power struggle over humanity’s next big technological breakthrough. All the while, Mackenzie’s own past reveals itself, reminding us that there’s no such thing as an open and shut case. For Mackenzie, protecting her own truth is as critical as discovering the truth behind the murder.”
The book was first sold in a two-book deal to Julian Pavia, the editor of Andy Weir, Blake Crouch, and Ernest Cline.
In addition to his work as an author, Kerr is known for being a lawyer and communications executive. He was one of the first employees of Airbnb, serving as the communications director and being with the company for over a decade. He is currently an executive at a New York-based startup, overseeing communications.
Kerr is repped by Verve, which brokered the deal. Schacter is repped by Brillstein Entertainment Partners and Johnson Shapiro Slewett & Kole.
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