Naoise Dolan’s Exciting Times Optioned for TV

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Black Bear Pictures (The Imitation Game, Mudbound, Suburbicon) has optioned the rights to Naoise Dolan’s debut novel, Exciting Times, ahead of its U.S. release on June 2.

Black Bear Television will develop and produce Exciting Times as a series for TV. The story follows the liaisons of Ava, newly arrived in Hong Kong from Dublin, who spends her days teaching English to rich children, and Julian, a banker who likes to spend money on Ava, to have sex and discuss fluctuating currencies with her.

The novel was released in the U.K. and Ireland in April, where it debuted on the Sunday Times Best-Sellers List.

Black Bear’s president and CEO, Teddy Schwarzman, said: “We immediately fell in love with Naoise’s honest, wry, and intelligent prose, and her ability to depict remarkably complex yet utterly relatable characters. We believe Naoise is an extraordinary voice, with a huge future ahead of her, and Black Bear is honored to play a part in bringing her rich material to life.”

Dolan said: “I think my love of dialogue is clear from the book, so I’m thrilled to partner with Black Bear to bring the characters to a TV audience, and even more so to be involved as an executive producer. Black Bear is discerning, independent-minded, and very engaged with the novel, so it will be a privilege to work together on this project.”