Peaky Blinders’ Producer will be making a new series based on P.D. James’s Cordelia Gray Novels
Peaky Blinders producer Caryn Mandabach Productions (CMP) will be making a series based on P.D James’s Cordelia Gray novels, which will open a new door to the detective’s universe.
CMP is making TV versions of ‘An Unsuitable Job for a Woman’ and ‘The Skull Beneath the Skin’, written by the renowned British author in 1972 and 1982, respectively. As part of the deal with James’ estate, the standalone film agreed to the ability to develop more Grey’s shows beyond the two existing novels.
Cordelia Gray character
Gray’s character was hailed as a pioneering hero at the time, as a new form of feminism was gaining momentum. In the first novel of a two-part series, she is hired to investigate the death of a young university student who appears to have been hanged under mysterious circumstances. The second book is set in a Victorian castle and focuses on actress Clarissa Lisle, who receives death threats.
CMP head Alexandra Arlango loves Cordelia Gray as Iconic
After reading An Unsuitable Job for a Woman, CMP head of development Alexandra Arlango said she “immediately started a conversation” with James’s daughters Claire Fuchs and Jane MacLeod. He said, “With his blessing, we began looking for someone to bring this book series into the 21st century.” “Eve Hedderwick Turner has always been on our radar, and she is the ideal person to help make Cordelia Gray an iconic, compelling, and unpredictable hero for a new generation.”
James, who died a decade ago, wrote two Gray novels but was best known for the Adam Dalgliesh mysteries, which have recently been adapted by Channel 5, starring Bertie Carvel.