A24 wins a bidding war against 20 studios to adapt an upcoming mystery thriller novel into a television series.
Founded in 2012, the independent studio has produced many modern arthouse movies – including Moonlight (2016), Hereditary (2018), Midsommar (2019), The Lighthouse (2019), Uncut Gems (2019), Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022), and Marty Supreme (2025) – though A24 has also produced several TV series, such as HBO’s Euphoria, Netflix’s Beef, and HBO’s The Sympathizer starring Robert Downey, Jr.
Now, according to Deadline, A24 has won a heated auction, beating out around 20 other bidders, to adapt Laura Shepherd-Robinson’s upcoming novel, We Are the Dead, into a television series. Described as the author’s first contemporary crime thriller, the novel follows Brontë Hayes, the “head of a London police team that is tasked with investigating cases of national sensitivity.”
The book “begins with a beheading in the Tower of London, the first in 300 years, as Brontë is called in to investigate the brutal murder by decapitation of the former Commander of the British Army who is in charge of the largely military community who live on the grounds of the Tower.”
We Are the Dead is reportedly being considered as the start of a potential book series featuring Hayes as the main character. The novel is scheduled for publication next year and has not yet even revealed its cover, but sources say it made a significant impression at last year’s Frankfurt Book Fair, sparking a competitive auction with up to 20 bidders.
A24’s UK division, led by Piers Wenger and Rose Garnett, ultimately secured the project. Development is still in its early stages, with the creative team and casting yet to be announced, as well as a network or a streaming service.
Laura Shepherd-Robinson, the daughter of Blackadder actor Tony Robinson, has previously authored historical novels such as The Art of a Lie, The Square of Sevens, and Daughters of Night.
In addition to We Are the Dead, A24 has several UK television projects in the works, including Apple TV’s The Husbands starring Juno Temple, Channel 4’s soccer drama Major Players from Molly Manning Walker, and Michaela Coel’s next series, First Day on Earth, for the BBC and HBO.