S Poddar
Catherine Zeta-Jones will appear in a thrilling new TV adaptation of Aidan Truhen’s thriller novel, The Price You Pay. The Oscar, BAFTA, and Tony Award-winning actress not only stars in the show but also produces it. The television project, working under the title Kill Jackie, reimagines the novel’s protagonist as female instead of male, offering a different take on the story. The show is in development for Prime Video with Fremantle and Steel Springs Pictures, with Amazon acquiring rights for a number of European countries, such as the UK, Ireland, and Germany, while Fremantle covers worldwide distribution outside of the United States.
Zeta-Jones takes on the role of Jackie Price, a woman who has lived a lavish and secluded life for the past two decades. Having escaped a dangerous past as an international cocaine dealer, she has since dedicated herself to selling fine art and exploiting tax loopholes—all while maintaining anonymity. But just as she starts to feel a sense of boredom creeping into her life, everything takes a terrifying turn. She learns that she has been hired to be killed by a special team of killers, known as The Seven Demons. Filming is planned to take place next month with locations being Bilbao, Lisbon, London, and Swansea.
The programme brings together an innovative team of creatives including Tom Butterworth (Gangs of London) and Conor Keane (North Sea Connection) and is being directed by Damon Thomas (Killing Eve). The book, published in 2018, was penned by Aidan Truhen—a pseudonym for writer Nick Harkaway, who later came forward. Butterworth called the book a “gonzo thriller” and was excited to bring its dark humor and offbeat energy to a compelling TV show. “Our goal is to twist and blow out his world into something equally funny, dark, mad, and quirky.”. Or die trying,” he told her.
This is another high-profile television job for Zeta-Jones after her recent Disney+’s National Treasure: Edge of History and Netflix’s Wednesday outings, in which she acted the part of Morticia Addams. Though she has not featured in a film for close to a decade now, she is also cast to appear in director Cathy Yan’s new film The Gallerist.
Expressing her excitement about Kill Jackie, Zeta-Jones shared, “I’m thrilled to be a part of Kill Jackie (w/t) both behind and in front of the camera. The opportunity to bring this multifaceted character to life, and explore a female-driven plot that encompasses empowerment, identity, and redemption is something I’m looking forward to.”
The financial model behind the series mirrors the changing nature of TV production. Fremantle and Prime Video are employing a system similar to Costiera, a show that features Jesse Williams, where Amazon retains rights in certain markets while Fremantle distributes worldwide. This joint venture permits greater outreach and artistic freedom in the modern streaming age.
Fremantle’s global drama and film head, Christian Vesper, described Kill Jackie as a blend of thrilling storytelling and dark comedy. “It’s an irreverent and contemporary thriller, which is all at once dramatic, escapist, and darkly comedic. Catherine Zeta-Jones shines as Jackie, and together with our incredible creative team, twisting storyline, and elaborate international backdrop, I’ve no doubt audiences all over the world are going to be hooked,” he said.
Steel Springs Pictures’ Peter Lawson, also an executive producer on the film, remembered his first reaction when he read the novel. “When I first got my hands on Nick’s novel, I knew this project needed a team of creatives who shared a dark sense of humor and a touch of madness to bring this crime caper to life.”. We’re thrilled to have found that in the captivating creative force of Catherine Zeta-Jones, the character-driven hilarity of writer Conor Keane and showrunner Tom Butterworth, and the sure-handed brilliance of director Damon Thomas,” he said.
Co-produced by Fremantle and Steel Springs Pictures, Kill Jackie boasts a heavy-hitting roster of executive producers such as Peter Lawson and Jose Augustin Valdes for Steel Springs, Dante Di Loreto for Fremantle, Jeffrey Levine, Butterworth, Thomas, and Zeta-Jones. Co-writer Keane is an associate producer. José Luis Escolar’s Deabru Kalea Filmeak will also produce in Bizkaia.
Rights to the novel were acquired under an agreement negotiated by the Curtis Brown Media Rights Team on behalf of Patrick Walsh at PEW Literary. Representation for the major players is UTA and Ziffren Brittenham LLP for Zeta-Jones, and Curtis Brown’s Nick Marston and Katie Battcock for Butterworth.
With a global cast and crew, an engaging narrative, and an iconic lead actress to guide it, Kill Jackie is becoming a compelling new addition to the TV landscape. The show has high-stakes action, dark humor, and a complex female lead who will do whatever it takes to stay alive in impossible circumstances. Viewers of crime dramas with a suspenseful edge and witty writing will surely be keeping an eye on this highly anticipated show.
