UPDATED: “The Cuckoo’s Calling” to Be Adapted by the BBC
In a move that surprises no one, J.K. Rowling has just announced via Twitter that the first Cormoran Strike novel, The Cuckoo’s Calling, written under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith, will be adapted as a TV drama on BBC One!
My friend @RGalbraith‘s first novel is going to be a TV drama on @BBCOne. He’s very excited, but expressing it with characteristic silence.
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) December 10, 2014
In case you haven’t been on Twitter today, J.K. Rowling has been tweeting up a storm, responding to fan comments about everything from her new profile header to advocating for Lumos, so perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised that she made a big announcement! Few details are available at this time, but we’ll keep you updated as more information is released! In the meantime, be sure to head over to Twitter to see some real-time interaction between Jo and her fans – maybe she’ll even respond to you!
The broadcaster optioned Jo’s other post-Potter endeavor, The Casual Vacancy, almost exactly two years ago. Though we still don’t know when The Casual Vacancy will air, the first teaser image for the series has been released, and since filming took place throughout autumn of this year, we expect that the premiere date will be revealed soon!
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UPDATE (December 11):
The BBC has revealed that Rowling will collaborate on the project, with the number and length of episodes to be decided once the creative adaptation process has formally begun.
Danny Cohen, Director of BBC Television, also commented:
It’s a wonderful coup for BBC Television to be bringing J.K. Rowling’s latest books to the screen. With the rich character of Cormoran Strike at their heart, these dramas will be event television across the world.
In the same statement, BBC also revealed that the much-anticipated adaptation of The Casual Vacancy will air on BBC One in February 2015.
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UPDATE (September 23, 2015):
It appears that the television adaptation of the Cormoran Strike novels is set to move forward! According to The Hollywood Reporter, the adaptation, titled The Cormoran Strike Mysteries, will be based on The Cuckoo’s Calling, The Silkworm, and the newest novel, Career of Evil, which is set to be published next month.
In addition, The Cormoran Strike Mysteries will be produced by J.K. Rowling’s own production company, Brontë Film and Television, which also produced The Casual Vacancy.
The Hollywood Reporter also notes that Sarah Phelps (The Casual Vacancy) will adapt The Cuckoo’s Calling, while Ben Richards (The Tunnel, Fortitude) will adapt The Silkworm and that Julian Farino (Entourage, The Office) will direct.
BBC One’s autumn/winter press release, which announced The Cormoran Strike Mysteries, provides more information on the adaptation.
Describing Cormoran and his partner Robin as “one of the most memorable detective duos of modern times,” it includes a brief synopsis:
Steeped in the atmosphere of contemporary London, Cormoran Strike’s city is far from the bright lights and frenetic bustle, immersed instead in its darker, murkier side. War veteran turned private detective, Strike investigates shocking crimes together with his female assistant, Robin, whose forensic mind and fierce determination he cannot ignore. The murders take them from the hushed streets of Mayfair to the literary haunts of Fitzrovia, exposing the seedy reality lurking beneath seemingly innocent societies. With each crime, they discover a little more about each other, and both learn that appearances can be deceptive.
Ruth Kenley-Letts, Neil Blair, and JK Rowling will be the executive producers, Dan McCulloch will produce, and Julian Farino will direct.
Are you excited for The Cormoran Strike Mysteries? What do you think of its inclusion of Career of Evil? We’d love to hear from you in the comments!
