Mary Higgins Clark Books Set for TV Adaptation

Reel One Entertainment has partnered with the U.S. production company Element 8 Entertainment and Paris-based La Sabotière to develop an anthology series based on the best-selling novels of the American crime writer Mary Higgins Clark.

Screenwriter and author Ilene Rosenzweig (Station 19, Girlfriend’s Guide to Divorce) is attached as the series’ writer and executive producer. The first season will be based on the New York Times bestseller I’ll Be Seeing You.

Season one will tell the story of Patricia “Trie” Collins, an ambitious young TV journalist who returns to her hometown and puts her reporting skills to the test when her father goes missing. As Trie’s investigation takes her down a rabbit hole of conspiracy and murder, she is unaware that she’s being watched by a stalker, who will inadvertently help her uncover the story of her career—and her family’s dark secret.

In this open-ended anthology series, each season will be inspired by a different Higgins Clark novel and a different crime, with over 40 titles to choose from. Featuring a diverse cast of strong female characters and set against the familiar backdrop of downtown Manhattan and the suburbs of New Jersey, this contemporary adaptation will bring Higgins Clark’s novels to a whole new generation of TV viewers.

With over 100 million copies of her books sold in the U.S., and more than 26 million books sold in France alone, Higgins Clark’s female-driven, multi-generational stories have been adapted as numerous TV movies in the U.S. and France. This marks the first time that a multi-episodic TV series has been developed based on her work.

The series will be produced by Reel One, Element 8 and La Sabotière, with Reel One International handling distributing. The partners are currently in discussions with broadcasters in the U.S. and Europe and will pitch the series to buyers at MIPCOM. The series will be shot in Toronto and New York in 2020.

Higgins Clark commented: “Early in my career I loved watching crime series. I enjoyed challenging myself to solve the mystery before it was revealed at the end. I’m delighted that my stories will be used to entertain a new generation of TV crime series fans. It will be fun to see how the TV writers will develop and expand my plots and characters!”

Rosenzweig said: “I was into these books growing up because Mary writes characters you want to be: cool women with glamorous jobs and aspirational/cosmopolitan lives who are suddenly thrust into incredibly dangerous situations—and yet remain relatable. You can’t help wondering, what if that happened to me? What would I do in that situation? At the heart of every book is an everyday woman who is put to the test and finds her inner superhero!”

Patty Lenahan Ishimoto, managing partner at Element 8 Entertainment, added: “When Sabine Carion approached us to partner on Mary’s library it seemed only natural to consider a multi-episodic approach to fully explore the depths of character and story that Mary so expertly and thoughtfully crafts. With Reel One on board as our development and distribution partner, we’re excited to bring Ilene’s fresh take on Mary’s franchise to life.”