TV Series Based On Chris Bohjalian’s ‘The Red Lotus’ In Works From Sherry Marsh, Julie Gardner, Kate Brooke & Anton
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EXCLUSIVE: The suspense novel The Red Lotus from New York Times bestselling author Chris Bohjalian is getting the TV treatment. Producers Sherry Marsh ( Pose, Vikings) and Julie Gardner of Bad Wolf America (I Hate Suzie, A Discovery of Witches), along with global content company Anton (The Night House, Greenland), have optioned the rights to The Red Lotus and are teaming to develop it into a drama series with Kate Brooke (A Discovery of Witches, Bancroft) attached to pen the adaptation and serve as the showrunner.
The Red Lotus follows Alexis, a young ER doctor in New York whose boyfriend goes missing while on vacation in Vietnam. As a result, she uses her own deductive reasoning and expertise as an emergency room medical professional to embark on an international manhunt. Set against the backdrop of geo-political power struggles, multi-national pharmaceuticals, and modern warfare, The Red Lotus tells a story of love and deceit as well as the very nature of humanity and evolution.
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“Part mystery, part thriller, the book has a unique and unusual heroine at its heart,” said Brooke. “Alexis is an ER doctor who’s seen it all, but when her boyfriend disappears, she is forced to ask herself – do you ever know the people you love, and work alongside?”
Added Marsh, “I was inexplicably drawn to this global thriller-rich with carefully drawn characters and a fast-paced narrative that holds your attention until the very end.”
Anton, which has offices in London and Los Angeles, is behind such international co-productions as the BBC/HBO series His Dark Materials.
“The rich dramatic world of global power-broking with its host of compelling and morally ambiguous characters, that Chris has created, lends itself perfectly to a thrilling international series format,” Anton’s SVP Business Development, Celia Meirow said of The Red Lotus.
The adaptation is joining another Bohjalian’s book on the path to the small screen. A TV iteration of his darkly comedic novel The Flight Attendant is headed to HBO Max with Kaley Cuoco starring and executive producing and Greg Berlanti’s Berlanti Prods. producing alongside Warner Bros. The series also features Bebe Neuwirth, Zosia Mamet, Sonoya Mizuno, Michiel Huisman, Rosie Perez, Colin Woodell, T.R. Knight, Griffin Matthews, Merle Dandridge and Nolan Funk.
Marsh, who also executive produces Amazon’s upcoming series adaptation of Cristina Alger’s bestselling novel The Banker’s Wife, is repped by David Markman.
Bohjalian is repped by Brian Lipson of IPG on behalf of Deborah Schneider at Gelfman Schneider/ICM Partners. Brooke is repped by Julia Kreitman at The Agency and WME.
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