Yet another novel from “Big Little Lies” author Liane Moriarty could be making its way to the screen. Following a “competitive situation,” ABC secured rights to an adaptation of “The Hypnotist’s Love Story” starring Heather Graham as a put pilot, Variety reports. The “Law & Order True Crime” alumna is also among the project’s executive producers.
Set to be penned by Kate Wech (“Star,” “Rizzoli & Isles”), “The Hypnotist’s Love Story” centers on Ellen, a successful hypnotherapist with a history of failed romances. Feeling optimistic about her current boyfriend, she’s shocked to learn he has “a stalker ex-girlfriend who has been following him for years. Ellen finds herself intrigued and oddly thrilled by the stalker, entirely unaware that they’ve already met,” the source summarizes. Graham’s role hasn’t been determined yet.
“Big Little Lies” will return for a second season on HBO, but the murder mystery’s premiere date hasn’t been announced just yet. “American Honey” helmer Andrea Arnold directed every episode. Other Moriarty adaptations in the works include Blake Lively-starrer “The Husband’s Secret,” a portrait of a wife, mother, and perfectionist who discovers that her husband has been keeping a life-changing secret from her, and “Truly Madly Guilty,” the story of a BBQ that goes horribly awry.
Graham made her directorial debut with “Half Magic,” a romantic comedy she also wrote and starred in. Released earlier this year, the pic centers on three best friends who vow to stop dating jerks. “I wanted to inspire and empower women, and men too, by opening up a conversation about sexism, relationships, and sexuality,” Graham said of the film. “I think women in our culture are presented with a mixed message. On one hand we’re told “your looks are the most important thing and you have to look sexy” while we’re also told “don’t be too sexy or we’re gonna judge you harshly.” She continued, “If you see a male hero and he’s James Bond and having sex with all these people, everyone thinks he’s so cool. If you watch, for example, a horror film, and you see a girl that has sex with a guy, you know she’s gonna die. In film and in life, women are punished for things that men are celebrated for.”
“The Hangover,” “Boogie Nights,” and “Twin Peaks” are among Graham’s previous credits. She toplines Aisling Chin-Yee’s upcoming directorial debut, family dramedy “The Rest of Us.”
