Dorricott's The Lighthouse to be developed into TV show by Luther producer

Fran Dorricott’s upcoming novel The Lighthouse is set to be developed into a TV show by the producer behind "Luther". 

Lana Beckwith, senior content development manager for HarperCollins, negotiated a deal with Radford Neville at The Lighthouse Film & Television company for rights to Dorricott’s similarly named novel, which is published on 3rd February by Avon.

A television adaptation is set to be developed by Hilary Salmon, formerly head of drama London for BBC Studios, where she produced dramas such as "Luther", "Silk" and "Three Girls". 

The Lighthouse tells the story of six friends who travel to a remote island north of the Scottish Highlands for an old school reunion. They have rented The Lighthouse, a stunning, now abandoned building that was once notorious for deaths at sea. On the first evening one of the group goes missing only to turn up the following morning, terrified and refusing to speak a word of what happened. Over the course of their stay, more unexplained things occur, and cracks begin to appear within the group. 

Dorricott said: "I’m absolutely thrilled to bits. Hilary’s enthusiasm is palpable and it’s very clear that she and her team have a great vision for how The Lighthouse could be adapted. A huge thank you to everybody at HarperCollins, Avon and Marjacq who helped to make this happen."

Beckwith said: "I’m delighted to have agreed this deal with The Lighthouse, a truly exciting production company with exceptional experience and a brilliant creative vision for this book. Fran’s novel is incredibly tense, thrilling and atmospheric, but also has so much to say on the nature of close friendships and how they evolve over time. From the moment we started discussing this deal, I knew that Hilary and her team had really connected with the story and that this would be a fantastic creative partnership. I can’t wait to watch their development of this adaptation as it unfolds."

Salmon added: "Fran’s gripping novel brilliantly combines the creepiness of a poltergeist story with the absorbing mystery of an Agatha Christie. By happy coincidence, the novel shares the same name as our baby production company, which made it even harder to resist. We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to bring such a page-turner to the screen."

The Lighthouse Film and Television was set up by Salmon, Neville and Nick Betts in early 2020, with the goal of developing and producing British drama of the highest quality for the world to enjoy. Sky Studios has a minority stake in the company.