The popular Isabel Dalhousie novels from best-selling author Sir Alexander McCall Smith have been optioned for screen adaptation by Synchronicity Films.
Andrea Gibb (Miss Austen, Mayflies, Elizabeth is Missing) has been tapped to adapt the books for television, with All3Media International slated to hold the distribution rights to the returnable crime series.
“I am thrilled to be adapting the adventures of Alexander McCall Smith’s delightful amateur sleuth, Isabel Dalhousie, for television,” Gibb said. “She is a fascinating character with a tenacious curiosity driven by a strong moral code and a faith in philosophical thinking, making this series incredibly appealing to dramatize.”
McCall Smith added, “I am delighted that Synchronicity is keen to translate the Isabel Dalhousie books to the screen. Isabel enjoys a very wide following in many parts of the world, and the idea of a highly regarded Scottish film company engaging with her story is very attractive to me.”
The books focus on Dalhousie, a philosopher and the editor of the Journal of Applied Ethics who is frequently drawn into mysteries in the Scottish capital. It is envisioned with a “story of the week” format, with a planned six-episode season. There are 15 novels in the series currently.
Claire Mundell, executive producer and Synchronicity Films founder, noted, “We love adapting popular novels for screen at Synchronicity, and I’m especially excited to be in advanced development on this well-loved series from Alexander McCall Smith—the Isabel Dalhousie novels. Dalhousie will appeal to viewers around the world who love an iconic female character such as Isabel and an entertaining, characterful, warm-hearted soft crime mystery series, all played out in the visually delicious world of Edinburgh.
Lauren Jackson, VP of scripted content for All3Media International, added, “With a track record for beautifully made, richly told literary adaptations, we are excited to partner with the brilliant team at Synchronicity on their next project adapting Alexander McCall Smith’s Dalhousie detective series. Isabel Dalhousie is one of fiction’s most richly developed female detectives, and with award-winning writer Andrea Gibb set to bring this iconic sleuth to the screen, we hope to welcome her to our preeminent detective slate.”
