Back in May, the world was gifted the knowledge that Bill Clinton was writing his first novel — a page-turning airport thriller about a president going missing that was co-written by mystery writer James Patterson. While the appropriately-titled The President Is Missing is still close to a year away from hitting the printing press, the dynamic duo have decided to go the TV route with their Gone Girl riff by securing a deal with Showtime to turn the novel into “a full-blown ongoing drama series.”
Clinton and Patterson reportedly met with all of Hollywood and were the subjects of a bidding war before deciding on the premium cable channel. Their choice arrived because the two both have a longstanding relationship with CBS Chairman and CEO Les Moonves (Patterson is an executive producer on Zoo, which airs on CBS). Showtime promises a “politically relevant, character-based action series.” The two authors appear enthused as well.
“I’m really enjoying writing this book and working with Jim,” Clinton said in a statement. “And I can’t wait to see Showtime bring the characters to life.”
“The White House is such an exciting world to explore and is made even more so with the unique insights of a former President,” said Patterson. “Rich storytelling opportunities for this series abound.”
Next steps: hiring and showrunner and Bruce Greenwood. Maybe?
(Via Entertainment Weekly & Variety)