Egerton snaps up film rights to Silver’s debut YA thriller

Screen rights to the upcoming LGBTQ+ YA thriller HappyHead by Josh Silver have been acquired by actor Taron Egerton and Range Media Partners. The deal was brokered by Leah Middleton at Marjacq Scripts on behalf of Becky Bagnell of the Lindsay Literary Agency.

The book – which will be published by Rock the Boat on 16th March – centres on Seb, who is offered a place on a radical retreat designed to solve the national crisis of teenage unhappiness.

The synopsis reads: “He is determined to change how people see him and make his parents proud. But as he finds himself drawn to the enigmatic Finn, Seb starts to question the true nature of the challenges they must undergo. The deeper into the programme the boys get, the more disturbing the assessments become, until it’s clear there may be no escape..."

Egerton, the star of films including "Rocketman" and "Kingsman", said of the acquisition: "I read Josh’s book in one sitting. It was immediately clear to me that it is something special. I could not be more excited to be a part of the team bringing this story to the screen."

Oliver Riddle and Thomas Daley, co-heads of international at Range, commented: "HappyHead has a unique combination of an ambitious, near-dystopian world with well observed, relatable characters and it’s exactly that blend that gets us excited."

Silver added: "I am beyond thrilled that Range Media Partners and Taron will be developing HappyHead for the screen. Their passion and creative vision is inspiring, and I can’t wait to be a part of this journey with them. They are the perfect home for it."

Silver and Egerton will be in conversation at Waterstones Deansgate, Manchester on Friday, 10th March.