Matthew Blake’s Debut Thriller Anna O Optioned to Warner Bros/Berlanti to be Developed for Netflix

Berlanti/Schechter and Warner Bros. TV have acquired the rights to  Matthew Blake‘s Anna O  to develop as a series for Netflix. Blake will serve as Executive Producer for his debut crime thriller novel, alongside Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter and Leigh Redman.

This high-concept story steeped in mystery follows the investigation of Dr. Benedict Prince, an expert in sleep-related homicide, into the case of the inexplicable Anna O, who murdered two people in cold blood four years ago and hasn’t woken up since.

Since its North American publication, the debut has reached incredible chart success. It was an instant Canadian bestseller, reaching No.1 on the Globe and Mail charts. The thriller was selected as an Indie Next Pick for January 2024 and was chosen as an Amazon BOTM and the January Sarah Selects Book Club pick by Amazon. The audiobook hit No.1 on the Apple Charts. It has been called “the most talked-about thriller of 2024” by TODAY and received starred reviews in Publishers Weekly and Kirkus.

Anna O first ignited an international rights frenzy on submission in 2022, receiving 16 international offers in just 48 hours of submission and going on to secure three separate seven-figure deals around the world, alongside record-breaking auctions and pre-empts in a total of 40 territories.

Delving into the mysterious world of sleep-related crime, Anna O explores the phenomenon of people who’ve committed murder or other violent acts with their eyes open but their brains still asleep. These patients are held on murder charges; but they have no memory of their crimes. It is a book for anyone who has ever woken up wondering what they did while sleeping. What if your nightmares weren’t really nightmares at all?

The average person spends 33 years of their life asleep. But, in this mysterious shadow world, how can we ever know who we really become?

In 2019, Anna Ogilvy was a budding twenty-five-year-old writer with a bright future ahead of her. Then, one night, she stabbed two people to death with no apparent motive and hasn’t woken up since. Her deep sleep is known by neurologists as ‘resignation syndrome’, a rare functional psychosomatic disorder. The tabloid press dubs her ‘Sleeping Beauty’.

Fast forward to the present day. Dr Benedict Prince is a forensic psychologist and an expert in the field of sleep-related homicides. As a consultant at The Abbey, a sleep clinic based in London’s infamous Harley Street, he has studied patients who are held on murder charges; but they have no memory of their crimes.

As Anna shows the first signs of stirring, Benedict must determine what really happened that night and whether or not she should be held criminally responsible for her actions when she finally wakes up.

Only she knows the truth about that night, but only he knows how to discover it.

***

“An irresistible concept beautifully executed—certain to be one of the year’s best thrillers.” Lee Child

“Anna O reads like a dream but unsettles like a nightmare.” A.J. Finn

“The twist is one of the best I’ve ever read.” David Baldacci

Anna O was published in North America on January 2, 2024 by Harper Collins US/ Harper Canada. We are so thrilled for Matthew and the teams behind this exciting project!