ROSE AYLING-ELLIS ATTACHED IN LEAD ROLE
Red Planet Pictures has optioned the rights to the deliciously twisty Tuva Moodyson crime series, written by internationally best-selling author Will Dean, and have brought Rose Ayling-Ellis on board to play the lead role.
DARK PINES, the first novel in the series, is being adapted by prolific screenwriter and award-winning playwright Charlotte Jones (THE HALCYON, WITHOUT YOU) into a six-part returning crime thriller series with an iconic heroine at its heart: the thrillingly modern, utterly original, deaf journalist Tuva Moodyson.
Currently in development, the series will be exec-produced by Belinda Campbell and Caroline Skinner for Red Planet Pictures, Charlotte Jones and by multi-award nominated actress and BAFTA Breakthrough Brit, Rose Ayling-Ellis (As You Like It, Soho Place, Signs for Change, BBC) who will also star in the leading role.
Widely acclaimed, and described by the FT as “a peerless exercise in suspense…” the novels have built a legion of fans with their intense mix of gripping crime thriller, warm wit and mythical small-town noir. Set in a remote Scottish wilderness, Charlotte Jones’ TUVA is not a straightforward crime drama: it’s an atmospheric thriller with a blackly comic sense of humour and a twist of Celtic magic.
Moving back to her hometown in the wilds of Scotland, Tuva finds herself working on a small-time local paper, desperate for a headline-breaking scoop. So, when a serial killer who has remained dormant for twenty years begins to kill again in the small community, Tuva finds herself with the front-page story that could make her career. If it doesn’t kill her first…
Skinner said: “Will’s Tuva Moodyson novels are atmospheric, bold and riveting, and as soon as we read DARK PINES, we knew we wanted to develop it for screen. In Charlotte’s thrilling adaptation, Tuva jumps off the page as a true original, and nobody could capture her drive, determination, intensity and warm humour better than Rose – we are beyond thrilled she is on board to bring this iconic leading character to life.”
Rose Ayling-Ellis said: “I can’t wait to get started on Tuva! As soon as I read Charlotte's scripts and then dived further into Will's books, I just knew this was a role I wanted to play and a world I wanted to explore! It's especially exciting for me to bring this to life alongside other deaf characters. This is a dream team to work with and I've no doubts this will be a story that everyone will enjoy!”
Charlotte Jones said: “Will’s Tuva Moodyson mysteries are a delicious combination of darkly comic characters, heart-pounding tension and thrillingly unexpected outcomes. What drew me to them above all was the thoroughly modern character of Tuva herself. Not since Saga in The Bridge has there been such a compelling and unique heroine. I’m delighted that the bold and brilliant Rose Ayling-Ellis has agreed to bring Tuva to life in all her spiky, funny, messy glory."
Will Deanadded: “Rose has long been my dream choice to play Tuva and I am so grateful to the Red Planet Pictures team for bringing us all together. I feel very lucky to write the Tuva books and I’m incredibly excited to see Rose bring her to life on screen.”
The deal was negotiated for Will Dean by Conrad Williams at Blake Friedmann Literary Agency. Rose Ayling-Ellis is represented by The Artists Partnership.
This latest project from Red Planet Pictures, part of the Asacha Media Group, and helmed by Belinda Campbell and Alex Jones, furthers the company’s broad development slate working with a mix of established and up-and-coming writers on a wide range of projects which include Megan Hunter‘s THE HARPY, New York Times best-selling author Antony Johnston’s THE EXPHORIA CODE, Ryan Calais Cameron’s adaptation of Mike Phillips’ ground-breaking novel, BLOOD RIGHTS.