Sometimes it feels like the film and television industry knows precisely five book writers and constantly returns to the same rotation to wring as many adaptations of their work as they possibly can. Luckily for us all, one of the novelists on every studio’s speed dial (phones still have speed dial … right?) happens to be Gillian Flynn, and the acclaimed author is taking on a significant creative role in translating “Dark Places” from the page to the small screen. And based on the overall reaction to the 2015 film, there really is nowhere to go but up.
Flynn, of course, is much more than just one of the most successful mystery/thriller novelists of the 21st Century. She has previously added her writing skills to her own adaptations of “Gone Girl” and “Sharp Objects,” in addition to co-writing the screenplay for the brilliant 2018 film “Widows” alongside director Steve McQueen and also working as a writer on the Amazon Original series “Utopia.” With the talent involved, there’s plenty of reason for fans of the original novel to hope that “Dark Places” will be much better suited for television. While Charlize Theron was cast as the main lead Libby Day for the previous movie, there are no details as of yet which actor will take on the role for the HBO series nor the ensemble cast that will fill out the supporting characters.
Right now, the operating word in the Variety report is that HBO is “developing” the series — should it get the official green light, /Film will bring you all the juicy details. On the bright side, that should give you plenty of time to do your homework and read (or re-read) “Dark Places” in the meantime.