'Handmaid's Tale' Author Margaret Atwood's 'MaddAddam' Trilogy Coming to TV
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Paramount Television and Anonymous Content have won the bidding war for the book series from Margaret Atwood.
Paramount Television and Anonymous Content are looking for the next Handmaid's Tale.
Hot on the critical and awards-season success of the Hulu adaptation, Paramount Television and Anonymous Content have won the bidding war for rights to author Margaret Atwood's MaddAddam book trilogy and plan to bring the series to the small screen. A network is not yet attached.
The trilogy, which consists of Oryx and Crake (2003), The Year of the Flood (2009) and MaddAddam (2013), tells a harrowing, cautionary and inspirational story of a global pandemic and the end of mankind. It follows a small group of survivors who are left to shepherd a new race to inherit the world. It centers on Jimmy, a boy disillusioned with the all-powerful corporations who rule civilization and whose best friend will develop the drug that wipes out humanity; Toby and Ren, two members of the cult "God’s Gardeners" who fight to survive on the margins of society; and Zeb, one of the founders of "God’s Gardeners."
Anonymous Content's David Kanter and Bard Dorros will executive produce the potential TV series alongside Rock Paper Scissors Entertainment's Angus Wall, Linda Carlson and Kent Kubena. MaddAddam is the first project under the first-look deal that the Amy Powell-led Paramount TV and Anonymous Content signed with Rock Paper Scissors.
"I am very happy with the vision described to me by Angus, Kent, David, Bard and Amy, as well as the stunning visual presentation they put together. I very much look forward to working with them,” Atwood said in a statement.
MaddAddam is the latest TV project for the Canadian author, joining Hulu's Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning Handmaid's Tale and Netflix's Alias Grace.
"Margaret Atwood’s unique and singular literary voice speaks to the greater issues facing our current climate and resonates with fans worldwide; the MaddAddam trilogy is no exception,” said Paramount TV president Powell. “These stories are perfectly suited for portrayal on television and we are thrilled to once again bring a literary masterpiece to life with our partners at Anonymous Content, Angus Wall and Rock Paper Scissors Entertainment."
MaddAddam is the latest collaboration for Paramount TV and Anonymous Content and follows Shantaram, which the companies won following a multiple-outlet bidding war; George Clooney starrer Catch-22 (which landed at Hulu); Netflix's 13 Reasons Why; the streaming giant's forthcoming Maniac, starring Emma Stone and Jonah Hill; and others.
"We're thrilled to be bringing MaddAddam trilogy to television. The worlds of Oryx & Crake, The Year of the Flood and MaddAddam beautifully illustrate the extraordinary range of Margaret Atwood’s imagination and go deeply afield in time and global evolution presenting fascinating opportunities to dramatize the wildest vision of the future ever shown on television," Anonymous Content’s Dorros and Kanter said in a joint statement. "We're excited to be embarking on this wonderful journey together with Angus Wall, our friends at Rock Paper Scissors and our partners at Paramount Television."
Atwood, Wall, Kubena and Rock Paper Scissors are repped by ICM Partners.
Hulu's The Handmaid's Tale has become a global phenomenon. The series, produced by MGM Television, has been renewed for a second season, which will extend beyond Atwood's source material.
TV Development The Handmaid's TaleRead the full article – Hollywoodreporter.com
