‘Pretty Little Liars’ creator to bring new serial killer thriller to Hulu from ‘Off Campus’ author
Hulu is set to adapt ‘Thornbird,’ the new thriller novel by Elle Kennedy (‘Off Campus’), into a television series. Marlene King (‘Pretty Little Liars’) will write and executive produce the project, according to Deadline. The streamer is currently developing the project through 20th Television, and Kennedy and Lauren Wagner will executive produce alongside King. ‘Thornbird’ is a coming-of-age thriller, and the outlet reports that the protagonist is at the center of a true-crime mystery involving her own family.
The lead character is 17-year-old Ryan Shipley, whose father is the infamous serial killer Gabriel Thorn. According to the novel’s official synopsis, Thorn was caught 10 years ago, and Ryan is now back in Starling, Tennessee, attempting to stay away from prying eyes and hiding her identity. However, a new investigation begins to uncover long-buried secrets, and Ryan sets out to expose the truth about the crimes in her family as the town attempts to discover who she really is.
Kennedy published the book on June 30 under the pen name E. Kennedy. Notably, she wrote romance novels before ‘Thornbird.’ Kennedy is best known for the ‘Off Campus’ book series, which Prime Video has already adapted. The first season is based on the opening book, ‘The Deal,’ which follows Briar University music major Hannah Wells and hockey captain Garrett Graham. Prime Video announced the Season 2 renewal in February, ahead of the May premiere. The same announcement describes Kennedy as a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of more than 50 novels.
On the other hand, King created ‘Pretty Little Liars,’ the series based on Sara Shepard’s novels, which explored several interesting themes. Her other credits include ‘Now & Then.’ Since the Hulu project is still in development, no cast or release date has been announced yet. An adaptation of Kennedy’s novel ‘Girl Abroad’ is also in development at Prime Video.
