'Lego Movie' directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller are developing a TV adaptation of NPR's hit from Sarah Koenig.
- Oct 1, 2015
AceShowbiz - Podcast phenomenon "Serial" is getting a TV treatment. "The Lego Movie" directors/writers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller as well as Fox 21 Television Studios have secured the rights to the NPR hit co-created and co-produced by Sarah Koenig and Julie Snyder.
The show developed for cable channel will capture the making of the podcast as it follows a case. It, however, won't follow the case of the murder of Hae Min Lee that was investigated in the first season of the podcast.
Fox 21 Television Studios president Bert Salke says, "From the very first week of 'Serial's' release last fall, everyone at Fox 21TVS was obsessed with the podcast. One year later, thanks to the incredible passion of Chris and Phil, who flew to New York and shared their vision with Sarah, Julie, Alissa and Ira for what the series could be, we're moving forward on this exciting project."
He goes on sharing, "What you have here is a 'once every ten years creative storytelling phenom' with a 'once in ten years take' with a 'once in twenty-five years creative team.' We are confident we'll attract a spectacular writer and look forward to pitching it to outlets very soon."
Snyder adds, "Chris and Phil take an unexpected approach to telling stories and that is so appealing to us at 'Serial'. Developing a show with them is exciting because we feel like we speak the same language, only they're smarter than us."
Snyder and Koenig will executive produce the TV series along with Lord and Miller as well as Alissa Shipp, Ira Glass and Seth Cohen. The project is currently looking for a writer to pen the adaptation.
"Serial", a spin-off to radio program "This American Life", explores nonfiction crime story over multiple episodes. The first season became a hit on iTunes and won a Peabody Award. Season 2 and 3 of the podcast are currently in the works, with the second season focusing on Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, the soldier who was held for five years by the Taliban.
