Mellors' Cleopatra and Frankenstein to be developed for TV by Warner Bros

Coco Mellors’ Cleopatra and Frankenstein (Fourth Estate) will be developed for a television limited series by Warner Bros TV. 

Mellors is represented by CAA and United Agents, with CAA negotiating the deal with Warner Bros. 

Mellors will adapt the book for screen herself, and Maggie Kiley is attached to direct and executive produce. Kiley’s recent projects include “Keep Breathing” and “Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin”.

Cleopatra and Frankenstein was published in February this year by Fourth Estate in the UK and by Bloomsbury in the US. Forthcoming in 10 additional languages, it tells the story of a group of friends in 2000s New York City, centering on the relationship between the novel’s eponymous couple Cleo and Frank. When 24-year-old British painter Cleo marries Frank, an advertising executive in his mid-40s, to secure her green card, she believes the marriage will offer her the chance to be happy and secure, with the freedom to paint. But their impulsive marriage irreversibly changes their lives and the lives of their friends around them. 

Mellors said: “These characters are truly alive for me, and the great joy of my life is hearing from readers that they feel the same way. I have long felt that the best way to continue to tell their stories is on the screen—they each have a lot of life yet to live, mistakes to make, and love to share. I can’t wait to bring everyone into Cleo and Frank’s world.”