Range Media Partners and Legendary Television have teamed to develop and co-finance a series adaptation of the Ken Follett novel “The Evening and the Morning.”
The book is a prequel to Follett’s 1989 novel “The Pillars of the Earth.” It is set in 997 CE, the end of the Dark Ages. England is facing attacks from the Welsh in the west and the Vikings in the east. Those in power bend justice according to their will, regardless of ordinary people and often in conflict with the king. Without a clear rule of law, chaos reigns. In these turbulent times, three characters find their lives intertwined: A young boatbuilder’s life is turned upside down when the only home he’s ever known is raided by Vikings, forcing him and his family to move and start their lives anew in a small hamlet where he does not fit in; A Norman noblewoman marries for love, following her husband across the sea to a new land, but the customs of her husband’s homeland are shockingly different, and as she begins to realize that everyone around her is engaged in a constant, brutal battle for power, it becomes clear that a single misstep could be catastrophic; A monk dreams of transforming his humble abbey into a center of learning that will be admired throughout Europe. And each in turn comes into dangerous conflict with a clever and ruthless bishop who will do anything to increase his wealth and power.
“I look forward eagerly to the development of ‘The Evening and the Morning’ as a television series, and I’m delighted that my story is in such good hands,” Follett said.
To date, Follett has sold over 170 million copies of his 36 books. They have been sold in over 80 countries and translated into 33 languages. Follett is repped by CAA.
“The opportunity to work with our friends at Range Media Partners on such an exciting property from a prestigious author such as Ken Follett is a huge win for us at Legendary,” said Chris Albrecht, head of Legendary Television.
Range Media Partners was founded in September 2020 by Dave Bugliari, Mackenzie Condon Roussos, Rich Cook, Michael Cooper, Susie Fox, Matt Graham, Sandra Kang, Rachel Kropa, Chelsea McKinnies, Peter Micelli, Mick Sullivan, Byron Wetzel, and Jack Whigham. The company has clients spanning film, TV, music, lit, and activism.
“Ken Follett is one of the great authors of our time – and ‘The Evening and the Morning’ is exactly why,” said Michael Cooper of Range Media. “Its power and beauty and brutality and humanity all swirl together in the most immersive ways. It’s a beautiful book for this medium. Range is honored to partner with Legendary to bring this stunning book to life.”
Legendary TV’s current slate of shows include “Carnival Row” for Amazon, “Lost in Space” for Netflix, “Debris” for NBC, and upcoming shows like “Dune: The Sisterhood,” “Lightyears,” and “Skull Island” and “Tomb Raider” among many others.
