Jessica
Prolific producer Gale Anne Hurd, whose long list of credits include “The Terminator”, “Aliens” and “Alien Nation” (which she’s rumoured to be doing a remake of), is bringing “The Eleventh Commandment”, based on the books by Jeffrey Archer, to the box.
Here’s the press release that arrived in our Miami inbox this morning :
New Franchise Media Inc. (“NFMI”) announced the development deal for the first TV adaptation from their slate of Jeffrey Archer bestselling novels:The Eleventh Commandment, a number 1 bestseller from the renowned UK author. The Eleventh Commandment, a CIA Action/thriller will be developed as an ongoing TV series by Gale Anne Hurd, executive producer of “The Walking Dead” and the upcoming “Port Royal,” and her Valhalla Entertainment shingle.
In The Eleventh Commandment, Connor Fitzgerald is the CIA’s most deadly assassin, hiding the details of his career from his family. Only days from his retirement from the Agency, he comes across an enemy he cannot handle, the Director of the CIA, bent on making Connor the fall guy for a phony assassination on a Russian presidential candidate that could inadvertently trigger World War III.
“Jeffrey Archer’s storytelling is compelling, character driven and perfect for television-full of fast-paced, high-stakes danger.” said Hurd. “I’m thrilled to bring his books and the adventures of Connor Fitzgerald to life for audiences.” Valhalla executive Ben Roberts brought the project into the company.
“Like Jeffrey Archer’s page-turning novels, which are always a guaranteed good read, this TV series will entertain with its unexpected twists and compelling characters that will keep you hooked,” said NFMI CEO Jeffrey Steiner. “We plan for event television with that must-see factor.” Sales of Jeffrey Archer’s books exceed 300 million copies worldwide.
“Gale Anne Hurd’s amazing pedigree in bringing action-oriented entertainment to the screen puts her among the best in the business. I am delighted to be working with her,” Lord Archer said from his home in London.
“Our company’s business plan is to develop our Archer properties in collaboration with experienced and respected producers, like Gale Anne Hurd. Together with Archer’s worldwide fan base this new spy-action series will have great appeal in both domestic and international markets,” observed Dianne Schwalm, NFMI’s Vice-President of Partnership Development.
NFMI is repped for TV projects by CAA’s Kevin Cooper.
