HBO Max & BBC One to Co-Produce The Girl Before

HBO Max and BBC One are teaming up to adapt the best-selling book The Girl Before as a four-part series starring Gugu Mbatha-Raw (The Morning Show, Misbehaviour) and David Oyelowo (Selma, Les Misérables).

The Girl Before tells the story of Jane (Mbatha-Raw), who gets the chance to move into a beautiful, ultra-minimalist house designed by an enigmatic architect (Oyelowo). There’s just one catch: occupants have to abide by his list of exacting rules. Jane starts to feel the house changing her in unexpected ways but when she makes the shocking discovery that her predecessor Emma died in the house, she’s forced to confront unnerving similarities.

Emmy nominated Lisa Brühlmann (Killing Eve, Servant, Blue My Mind) will direct.

The limited series will stream in the U.S. on HBO Max and will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the U.K., with WarnerMedia also controlling rights for additional select territories around the world.

42, a London and LA-based management and production company, is on board. JP Delaney, who penned the book, is creator, writer and executive producer on the series.

Jeniffer Kim, senior VP of international originals at HBO Max, said: “We jumped at the chance to co-produce JP Delaney’s intricate mind twister, The Girl Before, with the BBC and 42. With what will surely be stellar performances from the incomparable Gugu Mbatha-Raw and David Oyelowo, One Folgate Street is about to welcome new houseguests from both sides of the pond.”

Mbatha-Raw commented: “I’m so excited to work with this amazing team on such a compelling story in my debut role as an actor and producer.”

Oyelowo added: “This story is mind-bending in its clever construction and intricacy. I can’t wait to see it, let alone be in it. Plus, I’d go anywhere to work with my friend Gugu again.”

JP Delaney said: “Having written for the screen in a previous career, it’s long been a dream of mine to adapt The Girl Before, but I was determined to only do it if I could find partners who wanted to pursue high-quality, classy storytelling above all else. You really couldn’t get a more quality-focused lineup than 42, the BBC and HBO Max—and we’ve already attracted world-class talent in the shape of Lisa, Gugu and David. Psychological thrillers can be even more gripping on television than they would be as movies, and I’m incredibly excited to be re-telling this particular story in a visual medium. It’s also been great fun to collaborate on episodes two and three with a brilliant co-writer, Marissa Lestrade.”

Brühlmann said: “Can our surroundings, like a special house, affect who we are, even change us? The ability to change our beliefs and our character is highly fascinating to me. I can’t wait to bring this female-driven thriller to life.”

Eleanor Moran and Rory Aitken, executive producers for 42, commented: “We’re thrilled to have the chance to bring JP Delaney’s adaptation of his unforgettable bestseller to the small screen. Gugu Mbatha-Raw always brings such emotional complexity to her roles, and having an actor as accomplished as David Oyelowo as her co-lead is a dream come true. Lisa Brühlmann’s singular vision will add a whole other layer to the show. We can’t wait to introduce a global audience to the extraordinary secrets hidden behind the walls of One Folgate Street.”

Piers Wenger, director of BBC Drama, said: “The scripts JP Delaney has prepared for The Girl Before are just as addictive and unputdownable as his riveting novel. To have Gugu and David leading the cast, Lisa Brühlmann directing and Marissa Lestrade co-writing episodes really underlines the quality of this production and I can’t wait to see One Folgate Street on screen.”