Netflix Scraps Highly Anticipated Book Adaptation After Two Years

By Jenna Anderson

Netflix has become known for buzzworthy original series, but it looks like one project will not be coming to fruition. On Tuesday, it was announced via a report from Variety that the streaming service has cancelled its adaptation of The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle. The potential television series has been in development for more than two years now, and was initially announced as part of the first development slate for original U.K. content, but never made it into production. The series would have been inspired by the 2018 novel of the same name by Stuart Turton. According to reports, the BBC Studios production company House Productions is shopping the project elsewhere, and could potentially strike a new deal. Turton previously hinted at the cancellation news in a now-deleted tweet on January 12th.

"Alright pals, I come bearing bad news," the tweet read. "Netflix has canned its plans to make a telly adaptation of 'Seven Deaths.' Sad news, but thems the breaks. We're looking for another home for it, but the focus at the minute is making sure it's fucking brilliant when it does arrive."

What is The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle about?

The Netflix adaptation would have been a high-concept murder mystery set during a weekend party at a crumbling mansion where the narrator must repeat the same day over and over again until he can identify the killer of the beautiful young heiress, Evelyn Hardcastle, and break the cycle.

"I've wanted to write an Agatha Christie-style mystery since I was eight years old, when I used to read them one after another in my bedroom," Turton told the LAPL Blog in 2018. "I tried when I was 21, but it was rubbish. I was just flinging Christie tropes onto the page without adding anything unique of my own. I realized I needed a twist, so I decided to put the book down until I had something that would make the story stand out. I thought that idea would take a week, maybe a month. Twelve years later, I was on a long flight when my mind wandered back to this book I'd always wanted to write. Usually, when that happened, my thoughts hit a brick wall, but this time the concept was waiting for me. Agatha Christie in a Groundhog Day loop, with a bit of Quantum Leap thrown in. All I had to do then was find characters, the plot and a clever murder... no problem."

What was on Netflix's U.K. slate?

In addition to Evelyn Hardcastle, two remaining projects on the U.K. slate — a horror series Cuckoo Song, and the football comedy The Red Zone — have also reportedly been cancelled. The slate included existing series Man vs. Bee, The Bastard Son and The Devil Himself, Baby Reindeer, and Lockwood & Co. The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself has already been cancelled after one season.

What do you think of Netflix cancelling its adaptation of The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

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