We are thrilled to finally confirm that C.J. Tudor‘s The Chalk Man (Penguin Random House / Michael Joseph) will be adapted for the screen in a phenomenal new BBC series.

Film & TV rights have been secured by BBC Studios Production in association with Nice Media Studios and Windowseat. The screenplay for this gripping, six-part series will be adapted by award-winning writer Mick Ford, whose previous credits include The Boy with the Top Knot, Single Father and William and Mary.

The Executive Producers will be Tom Sherry for BBC Studios, Sam Sokolow for Nice Media and Bill Kiely for Windowseat.  Between them, their credits include the multi-award-winning Queer As Folk,  the acclaimed National Geographic series Genius and the sports mini-series Chasing Giants, respectively. The show is being produced under BBC Studios’ Drama North subsidiary.

The Chalk Man is an unforgettably chilling story, chronicling schoolboy Eddie and his friends, whose teacher, dubbed the “Chalk Man”, creates a seemingly innocent game for them. This game soon leads them to a terrifying encounter with a dead body that Eddie is unable to shake, even decades later. At the time of its release, the book was a smash-hit, winning commercial and critical acclaim. It made the Sunday Times bestseller list, and to date has sold into a whopping 41 territories. Just recently, the book was included in Dead Good Books’ roundup of the ‘best crime books of all time‘.

Its countless accolades include the 2018 Cabot Cove Award at The Dead Good Reader Awards, the 2019 Strand Critics Award for Best Debut Novel, the 2019 Barry Award for Best First Novel at Bouchercon, the 2019 Golden Bullet Award at the Norwegian Krimfestivalen, and the New York Thrillerfest 2019 ITW award for Best Debut Novel.  It even earned an incredible review from the maestro of scary fiction himself, Stephen King:

BBC Studios launched as a commercial subsidiary of the BBC in April 2017. It creates programming for other UK and international broadcasters, as well as the BBC, to deliver returns for licence fee payers. Its’ world-class dramas include Doctor Who, War and Peace, Rillington Place, Clique and Three Girls in addition to well loved, enduring shows like EastEnders, Casualty, Holby City, Doctors, River City and Pobol y Cwm.

A delighted CJ Tudor commented: “I am chuffed to bits that The Chalk Man is being developed for TV and couldn’t wish for a better team to bring the book and its characters to life. I’ve had so many readers tell me how much they would love to see The Chalk Man on screen, so this is great news for them and me!”

Tom Sherry, Head of Drama North, BBC Studios stated: “Telling stories is at the heart of our work at BBC Studios Drama and CJ Tudor’s chilling tale of an adulthood haunted by the past, is a story we knew TV viewers around the world would be gripped by. We’re thrilled to be collaborating with CJ Tudor and with our partners Nice Media Studios and Windowseat to bring this thriller to life.”

Sam Sokolow, Chairman of Nice Media Studios added: “Few books jump off the page and scream to be made into a television series the way CJ’s masterful thriller The Chalk Man does. Mick Ford’s authentic voice and dynamic vision serve the material great justice.”

Bill Kiely, President of Windowseat Pictures elaborated: “Windowseat’s strategy to discover first time authors paid off with CJ Tudor’s The Chalk Man. Though The Chalk Man is set in the UK, it is totally relatable to a reader here in the states. We are over the moon to be collaborating with BBC Studios on this series.”

Madeleine Milburn enthused: “I am thrilled that The Chalk Man is making its way to screen…an award-winning international bestseller across the globe, Tudor has so many fans who will be exhilarated by this latest development.”

The MM Agency is so glad that C.J. Tudor’s transfixing debut work is continuing in its upward trajectory, and will receive a brand new audience as a result of the series, surely delighting old and new fans!