Lyrical Media and Ryder Picture Company will adapt Sian Gilbert’s debut thriller “She Started It” for the screen. Jessica Sharzer, the screenwriter behind “A Simple Favor,” is set to direct from the script she co-wrote with Sarah Masson. Ryder Picture Company’s Aaron Ryder and Andrew Swett are producing with Lyrical Media’s Alexander Black. Lyrical is financing the development with Jon Rosenberg and Natalie Sellers executive producing. Casting is currently underway.
The announcement comes ahead of the June release of Gilbert’s second novel, “I Did Warn Her.”
“She Started It” follows Annabel, Esther, Tanya and Chloe, once inseparable childhood friends who have since drifted apart. Their adult lives haven’t unfolded quite as they’d imagined, but a shared past and buried secrets have kept them loosely connected. When they receive an invitation from former classmate Poppy Greer to an extravagant bachelorette weekend on a private island, curiosity, and the promise of luxury, pulls them back together. But the trip is not what it seems. With no cell service, no other guests, and tensions rising, the women soon realize they’ve underestimated Poppy — and each other.
Sharzer adapted Darcey Bell’s thriller novel “A Simple Favor” and co-wrote its upcoming sequel “Another Simple Favor “starring Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick and directed by Paul Feig, which is set to be released exclusively on Prime Video this week. Sharzer made her feature debut in 2004 at the Sundance Film Festival with “Speak”; wrote and produced the film “Nerve”; and has been tapped to revive films like “The Hunger” for Warner Brothers and “To Catch A Thief” for Paramount. Additionally, Sharzer was a co-executive producer on “American Horror Story” (FX), “Star” (Fox), “Amazing Stories” (Apple) and “Nine Perfect Strangers” (Hulu).
“Whenever I write a script, I’m directing it in my head and then translating what I see onto the page,” said Sharzer. “With ‘She Started It,’ I’m very excited to get the chance to see a movie all the way through production, from first draft to final frame. The movie is a genre mash-up with a very specific tone and, from the moment I read the novel, I knew I needed to direct it. I’m very grateful to be on this journey with RPC and the Lyrical team.”
“She Started It” falls under Lyrical and Ryder’s first-look deal. They are currently in post-production on Adam Wingard’s “Onslaught” and Michael Sarnoski’s “The Death of Robin Hood” starring Hugh Jackman, Jodie Comer and Bill Skarsgård, both of which will be distributed by A24. The companies are also developing a slate of projects, including “Funny Story,” an adaptation of Emily Henry’s bestselling romantic comedy, and “Butcher & Blackbird,” based on Brynne Weaver’s popular novel. Lyrical Media’s upcoming slate also includes “Powerless,” a television adaption of Lauren Roberts’ best-selling debut YA novel.
Sharzer is repped by UTA and North Star. Gilbert is represented by the Helen Heller Agency.
