A TV adaptation of the bestselling Alex Rider book series is in the works at ITV, with “Borgia’s” scribe Guy Burt attached to the project.
U.K.-based drama producer Eleventh Hour Films has optioned the Anthony Horowitz books and will make the series, which is being developed with ITV and is expected to attract international partners. The series will follow the adventures of teenage super-spy Rider on his missions to save the world.
The announcement of a TV adaptation comes as Horowitz releases his 10th Rider book, “Never Say Die.” Horowitz created the series in 2000, and it has since notched 16 million book sales for the English-language editions alone.
The TV series will skew older than the novels, which target teen boys, and will be presented as event dramas for family audiences.
Horowitz said that screenwriter Burt “is cleverly expanding the characters whilst staying true to the spirit of the original novels to ensure that the series will appeal to both loyal fans and a new generation of viewers.”
Eleventh Hour is run by Jill Green, whose former production company, Greenlit Productions, made “Foyle’s War,” which was written by Horowitz. The author also penned “Collision,” which Eleventh Hour attempted unsuccessfully to develop with NBC in the U.S.
The Alex Rider series was adapted for the big screen with The Weinstein Company’s 2006 feature “Alex Rider: Stormbreaker,” which had a screenplay from Horowitz.
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