Maurier's Flight of the Falcon soars with TV deal

Daphne du Maurier’s classic noir novel The Flight of the Falcon will be adapted into a modern-day drama series.

Christopher Villiers will act as executive producer, adapting the four-part “landmark” series as an international co-production. The project will be managed jointly by independent production companies Free @ Last TV, based in London, and 2020 Productions, which is headquartered across Edinburgh, San Fransisco and Dubai. Barry Ryan, Free's joint m.d. and creative director, will act as producer for the project alongside Free's head of development David Walton.

First published in 1965, du Maurier’s The Flight of the Falcon “was hailed as a masterpiece of hypnotic suspense and revered as a classic of gothic horror,” Free said.

The series, which is set in the present day, tells the story of a young English tour guide Armino Archer, who while escorting a group around Southern Italy, arrives into the ancient hilltop City of Ruffano and discovers a web of intolerance and hatred, fear and conspiracy.

Ryan bought the rights from Jenn Lambert and Joe Phillips at Curtis Brown. There is no broadcaster currently attached but Ryan told The Bookseller the project was under discussion with two potential UK broadcasters and two Italian broadcasters. 

He said: “It is a privilege to be allowed to adapt the incredible story-telling prowess of du Maurier for a new audience. Falcon is one of her lesser-known works, but no less powerful for that and the time is right to bring it to a wider audience.”