Film rights to Northedge's 'eerie' thriller go to Sea High Productions

Sea High Productions has snapped up the film rights for The People Before (HarperCollins) by Charlotte Northedge, joint head of books at the Guardian.

The novel will be adapted by Mick Oughton and directed by Steve Reeves with Liz White, seen in "Unforgotten" and "Anatomy of a Scandal", leading the cast with Ray Fearon, from "His Dark Materials" and "Macbeth" and Imelda May, whose credits include "Fisherman’s Friend".

The People Before is an "eerie" psychological thriller set in the Suffolk countryside: "Jess and her husband need a new start, so when the chance to buy a rambling old house comes up, they leap at it. But not everyone in Suffolk is welcoming. The locals know a secret about the Maple House, and soon, Jess realises they’ve made a huge mistake. Something bad happened in that house. Something nobody wants to talk about."

Northedge commented: "I’m very happy that Sea High Productions will be bringing The People Before to the screen. Liz White and Ray Fearon are perfectly cast as Jess and Pete, who move into their rambling new home in the countryside only to discover that it holds dark secrets, and Imelda May will be mesmerising as their magnetic new friend Eve. Steve Reeves and Mike Oughton have done brilliant work with the script and direction, and it has been a joy to work with Sally Wood and Anne Heath, who have such passion for my novel."