The latest title from The Housemaid author Freida McFadden is heading to the big screen.
Studiocanal is in early development on a feature adaptation of The Divorce after winning a competitive book option, the company announced Thursday. Studiocanal is fully financing the thriller movie that it is co-producing with Working Title. Centering on vengeance and survival, The Divorce is the forthcoming novel from McFadden and is set to hit shelves May 26 from Poisoned Pen Press, an imprint of Sourcebooks.
Ron Halpern and Joe Naftalin oversee the project for Studiocanal. The company’s label Studiocanal Stories, which is focused on literary adaptations, spearheaded the book option.
Lionsgate released director Paul Feig’s The Housemaid in theaters late last year, with Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried leading the cast in an adaptation of McFadden’s 2022 novel. The film surpassed $400 million at the global box office, and a sequel that is based on the author’s follow-up book The Housemaid’s Secret is set for release in 2027.
“I’m delighted to be working with the teams at Studiocanal and Working Title to bring The Divorce to the big screen,” McFadden says in a statement. “From the start, they have come forward with an unparalleled enthusiasm and a strong vision for how to get this project off the ground. I can’t wait to see what unfolds!”
Studiocanal CEO Anna Marsh adds, “We are thrilled to be working with Freida McFadden on our adaptation of The Divorce. From the very first page, it was utterly compelling. Freida has a rare ability to draw readers — and viewers — into an unsettling sense of comfort, before brilliantly pulling the rug from under them. The Divorce is ambitious, aspirational and irresistibly addictive storytelling at its best, and marks an exciting new chapter for Studiocanal Stories. I would like to congratulate the Studiocanal team on this landmark deal, which powerfully demonstrates our commitment to nurturing distinctive literary voices for the screen.”
McFadden’s other titles include Dear Debbie and The Boyfriend. She is represented by Christina Hogrebe of Jane Rotrosen Agency, Angela Cheng Caplan of Cheng Caplan Company and Allison Binder of Goodman Genow.
