Universal developing a ‘Murder, She Wrote’ movie adaptation
It’s been confirmed that Universal is currently developing a major movie adaptation of Murder, She Wrote, the classic crime drama series that ran from 1984 to 1996. Lauren Schuker Blum and Rebecca Angelo have signed on to write the screenplay, with former Sony co-chief Amy Pascal serving as executive producer.
Work began on the script before the Writers Guild of America (WGA) went on strike, and neither Blum nor Angelo will resume development until a deal is struck with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP).
Originally running on CBS, Murder, She Wrote starred Angela Lansbury as amateur detective and mystery writer Jessica Fletcher, who would solve weekly murders that occurred in the fictional town of Cabot Cove in Maine. The title was a spin on the 1961 Agatha Christie movie adaptation, Murder, She Said.
Universal Television produced the long-running TV series, hence why the feature film version is being overseen by the studio. Blum and Angelo recently co-wrote Dumb Money, based on Ben Mezrich’s 2021 book The Antisocial Network.
Starring Paul Dano, Seth Rogen, Pete Davidson, Sebastian Stan, Shailene Woodley, America Ferrera, Nick Offerman, Anthony Ramos, Dane DeHaan, and Vincent D’Onofrio, The Antisocial Network depicts the true account of a group of investors involved in the GameStop ‘short squeeze’, whereby 140% of the video game retailers public float was sold short and triggered major financial consequences.
Producer Pascal previously led at Sony Pictures, overseeing critically acclaimed films such as Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Molly’s Game and Barbie director Greta Gerwig’s second directorial feature, Little Women. She moved her Pascal Pictures banner to Universal in 2019.
With no imminent end in sight for the WAG strikes or the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA), it’s unlikely the script will be finished before the end of the year, pushing a potential release date probably back to 2025. In the meantime, Dumb Money will see a limited theatrical release on September 15th.
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