A couple of months ago, it was announced that Sarah Michelle Gellar is attached to star in a revival of Buffy the Vampire Slayer – but while that project makes its way through development, Deadline has revealed that Gellar is also on board to star in and executive produce a TV series adaptation of the Emma Rosenblum novel Bad Summer People.
Cara DiPaolo (No Good Deed) is set to write and executive produce the show. Linden Productions (Family Switch) and A+E Studios (The Lincoln Lawyer) are developing the project internally before taking it out to buyers. Also executive producing are Riva Marker and Deanna Barillari with Linden Productions, plus JoAnne Colonna.
Deadline notes that Bad Summer People has drawn comparisons to The White Lotus. Rosenblum’s novel is set in the idyllic fictional town of Salcombe, Fire Island, and follows a sequence of life shattering events when a body is discovered off the side of the boardwalk. The series will be centered on frenemies and master manipulators, Jen Weinstein and Lauren Parker. They, alongside their husbands, childhood friends Sam and Jason, have summered together on the island for years, but this summer everything will come to a head as lifelong grudges and secrets are unearthed.
Tana Jamieson, Co-Head/EVP Creative Affairs, A+E Studios, provided the following statement: “Bad Summer People is a deliciously sharp and addictive series. Emma’s novel practically leapt off the page, and in Cara’s hands—alongside a dream team of producers at Linden and the iconic Sarah Michelle Gellar—it becomes something even more unforgettable. This is the kind of bold, premium storytelling we’re proud to champion at A+E Studios.“
In addition to Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Bad Summer People, Gellar has a recurring role on the Dexter prequel series Dexter: Original Sin, and Deadline has confirmed that she’s expected to remain on that show for the recently-announced second season. So she’ll be working on multiple shows at once, and Sarah Michelle Gellar being a regular presence on our TV screens is always a good thing.
Does Bad Summer People sound interesting to you? Have you read the Emma Rosenblum novel? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
