Seven Lies TV deal snapped up in five-way auction

Hotly contested thriller Seven Lies, which went for seven figures in a major book deal, has now been optioned for TV by Drama Republic following a five-company international bidding war.

Written by Transworld editor Lizzy Goudsmit under the pen-name of Elizabeth Kay (pictured), the book sold for more than a million pounds in one territory in February with a six-figure deal with Sphere in the UK, securing around 25 deals worldwide over the last two months.

Now Drama Republic has won the TV rights after an auction with four other companies, negotiated by the recently promoted Hayley Steed at Madeleine Milburn Literary, TV & Film Agency.

The production company said: “Elizabeth Kay’s storytelling had us hooked from the first lie. Seven Lies is a mesmerising, smart and thrilling tale of female friendship and obsession; and the lies we are willing to tell ourselves, and others, to get exactly what we want. We can’t wait to bring it to the screen”

Kay commented: "I am so thrilled to be working with Drama Republic. As soon as I spoke to Jen and Roanna, I knew that they were the perfect team to bring Seven Lies to life on screen."

Her agent Madeleine Milburn said of the deal: “I’m so excited by their creative vision and ambition for Seven Lies, and am thrilled it will hit the screen after so many exciting book deals.”

Drama Republic is an independent television production company established in 2013 by Greg Brenman and Roanna Benn. Its credits include BBC One show "Doctor Foster", "The Honourable Woman" for BBC/Sundance TV and "My Mad Fat Diary" for E4. Upcoming projects include an adaptation of David Nicholls’ bestselling novel Us (Hodder).