EXCLUSIVE: Sony’s 3000 Pictures has pre-emptively acquired film rights to the Clare Leslie Hall suspenseful romance novel Broken County, with Hello Sunshine is producing. The project sees 3000 Pictures and Candle Media’s Hello Sunshine reunite after the success of the film adaptation of publishing phenomenon and Reese’s Book Club Pick Where the Crawdads Sing, which earned $144.4 million globally.

Hall’s novel will be published March, 2025, and it has sold in over 25 territories. Simon & Schuster acquired North American Rights in a significant deal at auction and John Murray pre-empted the UK rights.

Broken Country is an epic love story about a married woman whose first love unexpectedly comes crashing back into her life and changes everything in an instant. His presence unravels her world as she weighs all that could have been, against the life she has made for herself since. Passion proves dangerous, ultimately leading to a murder and unearthing a web of secrets that she always intended to leave buried in the past.

Reese Witherspoon and Lauren Neustadter will produce while Ashley Strumwasser will executive produce on behalf of Hello Sunshine.  

Marisa Paiva will oversee the project for the studio. Drew Reed and Jake Bauman were instrumental in bringing the project to 3000 Pictures and Sony Pictures. 

Hello Sunshine is repped by CAA and Hanson Jacobsen.