Bruna Papandrea has lined up yet another project. The “Big Little Lies” exec producer’s drama series, “Deadlier Than the Male,” received a pilot order from TNT. The Hollywood Reporter broke the story.
In a plot that’s sure to interest “BLL” fans, the show “centers on a trio of characters, each with a mysterious and troubling past, including a woman who once looked into the eyes of a dangerous killer; a former serial predator desperate to find redemption; and a grieving mother obsessed with finding her missing daughter. As each of them is pushed to the edge, the truth about their pasts and their motives grows ever murkier, blurring the lines between victim and perpetrator.”
Papandrea will exec produce “Deadlier Than the Male” with Casey Haver (“Housesitters”) and Harriet Warner (“Call the Midwife”). Warner will also write the pilot. Turner’s Studio T banner will produce.
“‘Deadlier Than the Male’ will represent TNT’s exploration into a new style of mystery drama,” said TNT vp of original programming Sarah Aubrey. “It’s not about ‘who done it,’ but why it was done,” she added.
Papandrea’s recently-launched Made Up Stories banner made its first acquisition with the rights to “The House On Langley Lake,” Elizabeth Klehforth’s debut novel. The yet-to-be-published book features multiple storylines that explore friendship and family.
Previously, the producer worked with Reese Witherspoon at Pacific Standard, the production company behind “Gone Girl,” “Wild,” and “Big Little Lies.” The series finale of “BLL” aired on HBO just a few weeks ago. The critically acclaimed murder mystery was a ratings hit, and is expected to rack up a number of Emmy nominations.
Made Up Stories is currently producing and co-financing “The Babadook” helmer Jennifer Kent’s “The Nightingale,” about a woman seeking revenge for her family’s murder in Tasmania, Australia. The film is currently in production.
Another woman-helmed TNT drama on our radar is the Niecy Nash-starrer “Claws.” From showrunner Janine Sherman Barrois (“Criminal Minds”), the series is about five cutthroat manicurists working at a South Floridian salon. It premieres June 11.
