The hunt for book IP continues to drive business.
Following what’s been described as a “highly competitive situation,” Universal International Studios (UIS) has bought the rights to author Lucy Foley‘s latest novel, The Midnight Feast.
The Universal Studio Group (USG)-owned UIS will develop a TV series adaptation of book, which publishes on June 6 and was among the highest profile titles on offer at the recent London Book Fair.
Foley will be an executive producer alongside former HBO Entertainment boss Sue Naegle and Ali Krug, who took over Annapurna’s TV development slate when Naegle exited her Chief Content Officer role at Meg Ellison’s studio back in 2022.
USG’s Creative Acquisitions and IP Management played a significant role in the Midnight Feast acquisition, we hear. Several sources in the literary IP world have noted the increased U.S. presence at the London Book Fair last week, with Foley’s UK and U.S. agents, Curtis Brown and UTA, among those to have held social events. WME was also in town in a significant way.
Billed as being “laced with atmosphere and a chilling edge of folklore,” The Midnight Feast is a locked door murder mystery. Longline reads: “Guests gather for the opening of The Manor Hotel, the new jewel on the Dorset coastline. The champagne is flowing, the guest list sparkling, the sun setting on an unforgettable summer solstice. But under the cloak of celebration, something dark is stirring. The Manor has a secret history; built in the shadows of an ancient wood. Now old friends and enemies are creeping out of the shadows. And they’ll soon discover what other deadly secrets come out at night.”
Foley was a fiction editor for several years in the publishing industry before she wrote the 2015 bestselling novel The Book of Lost and Found and has since penned the likes of New York Times number one bestseller The Paris Apartment and The Guest List.
“I’m thrilled that the brilliant Universal International Studios team will be developing The Midnight Feast,” she said. “I knew from the first meeting that they loved and completely understood the book and everything I was trying to do in writing it. I’m so excited by their hugely creative vision for adaptation and being part of the process – watch this space.”
“We’ve always admired Lucy and her ability to tell a story that is grounded by specificity of place but resonates on a global stage,” said Tesha Crawford, SVP, Global Scripted Series, at UIS. “From the opening of The Midnight Feast, her characters, atmosphere and mystery all jumped off the pages. We didn’t need to wait for the release to know that this brilliant novel has all the ingredients for an incredible television series. We can’t wait to bring this project to life.”
Foley is represented by Cathryn Summerhayes at Curtis Brown and Jason Richman at UTA.