‘Sisi’ Producer Story House Pictures to Adapt ‘The Book of Longings,’ About the Wife of Jesus of Nazareth (EXCLUSIVE)
variety.comJohn Hopewell Chief International Correspondent CANNES — Germany’s Story House Pictures, producer of the Beta Film/RTL mega-hit “Sisi,” sold to 120 territories, has optioned what looks like one of the biggest and most ambitious projects coming onto the market at this year’s Mipcom: “The Book of Longing,” a six-part English-language series with an international cast based on the international bestseller of the same name by Sue Monk Kidd.
The novel has been translated in 17 languages and will be the third adaption of one of Kidd’s bestselling works. Her 2001-novel “The Secret Life of Bees” sold 8 million copies and was turned into a major award-winning motion picture starring Queen Latifah, Dakota Fanning, and Jennifer Hudson.
Andreas Gutzeit, co-founder of Story House Pictures, the international studio of the Bavaria Film Group,’ and producer and showrunner on “Sisi,” will serve as showrunner leading an international writers room.
Now in development, “The Book of Longings” is set in 20 A.D. in Galilee, an official Roman province for the last 25 years: Ana is the daughter of a high-ranking Jewish scribe at the court of the Rome-appointed Herod Antipas, her father’s profession and influence of her aunt instilling in her a deep love of words and a daring spirit.
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