Sally Hepworth’s novel “Darling Girls”, optionally with fictional stories

EXCLUSIVE: Bruna Papandrea’s Made Up Stories has chosen the New York Times bestseller “Darling Girls” and begun work on a TV adaptation.

The crime novel, which became an instant bestseller when it was published this year in the US and Hepworth’s native Australia, is billed as “a gripping thriller of sisterhood, secrets and murder.”

The plot revolves around Jessica, Norah and Alicia returning to the idyllic farm where they were raised by a loving foster mother when a body is discovered beneath the house. Although the sisters have always been told that they were lucky to have a second chance at a happy family life after their own family tragedies, they realize that their childhood was not the fairytale everyone thought it was. They come into the spotlight as key witnesses – or prime suspects.

Irish writer and producer Orlagh Collins will helm the adaptation as executive producer and showrunner. Papandrea, Steve Hutensky and Katie Amos will produce for Made Up Stories, with Hepwrth and Rob Weisback also serving as executive producers.

The deal is the latest example of how hot the market for book-to-TV adaptations remains, despite the general reluctance in the international market following the streamer realignment and overall budget cuts. Papandrea contributed to a post on this topic published today in our MIPCOM magazine. She and her husband Hutensky are considered two of the main players in the trend of the last decade, adapting books into series such as Nine perfect strangers, The doom And The Lost Flowers by Alice Hart. Last week we first reported that the company had secured the rights to Zoe Foster Blake’s novel Things Will Calm Down Soon.

“At Made Up Stories, we love making compelling thrillers that focus on complex women,” Made Up Stories management said in a statement. “Sally’s brilliant book has four of them and along with the Orlagh Collins adaptation we were left speechless.”

“I’m thrilled to be working with Bruna, Steve and Made Up Stories to adapt ‘Darling Girls’ to the series,” added Hepworth. “I have long admired their dynamic filmmaking and passion for telling women’s stories, so I feel incredibly fortunate to be working with them to bring this special story to life – a story about three uniquely complex women in the world A murder investigation centers on a team of detectives who completely underestimate their unbreakable bond of sisterhood.”

Hepworth is represented by CAA and Rob Weisbach Creative Management.