Liberty Films announced plans for an ambitious television adaptation of Tony Kent’s thriller Killer Intent, with Duncan Jones (Mute, Moon, Source Code) set to direct and executive produce the series.
Killer Intent is the first in the series of thrillers featuring intelligence agent Joe Dempsey, Irish barrister Michael Devlin, and American television journalist Sarah Truman. As Jones brings his bold and extraordinary vision to the project, Tony Kent will be adapting his novel alongside an American-style writers’ room of established TV talent.
Jones said: “Tony’s writing style is already so cinematic, working with him and a room of writers to adapt his first book will be a thrill. I’m excited to get my teeth into some contemporary set action, and have time to develop characters over a series rather than a single film.”
“It’s an extraordinary honour to have Duncan Jones and Liberty Films adapting Killer Intent for TV. I’m absolutely blown away to be working with such outstanding talent, particularly as I have been a big fan going right back to the release of Moon almost 10 years ago.”
Executive Producer Stuart Fenegan acquired the screen rights for Killer Intent in advance of the hardback release earlier this year, and it will be Liberty Films’ first foray into television. Jones and Fenegan have previously worked exclusively in feature films with credits such as Moon, Source Code, Warcraft, and Mute.
“I’ve loved the work of John Grisham and Lee Child for years,” said Fenegan. “When I read an early draft of Killer Intent I knew it was special and deserved a place on the shelf, and on the screen, alongside those authors. Having spent a great deal of time with Tony discussing his characters and the journeys they will embark on in future books, I know television is the right medium in which to do them justice.”
Kent’s widely praised debut novel — published by Elliot & Thompson — was selected in the national press as one of the “must-read books of 2018” and was recently featured in Zoe Ball’s Book Club on ITV.
