EXCLUSIVE: In a very competitive situation with several major bidders, Netflix has landed for development Dead Letters, a drama starring and executive produced by Lucy Hale, Deadline has learned. An adaptation of Caite Dolan-Leach’s 2017 novel, the project comes from Unwell, the company of Call Her Daddy‘s Alex Cooper, and Aaron Kaplan’s Kapital Entertainment.
Written/executive produced by Rachel Caris Love (Invitation to a Bonfire) and to be directed/executive produced by Liz Friedlander (Shining Vale), Dead Letters is described as an addictive mystery whodunit-meets-psychological thriller centered on a pair of identical twin sisters: Ava and Zelda, played by Hale. When Ava returns home to the family vineyard in the wake of Zelda’s sudden death, she must find out who murdered her beloved twin while reckoning with dangerous revelations about the woman Zelda had become in her absence. To complicate matters: Zelda knew she was in serious danger—so she left behind letters for Ava. Zelda’s cryptic and gut-wrenching “dead letters” send Ava on a twisted scavenger hunt for the truth—forcing Ava to question everyone she’s ever loved.
Hale, Love, Friedlander and Dolan-Leach executive produce alongside Aaron Kaplan of Kapital Entertainment, Brian Morewitz of Morewitz Media, Elissa Leeds of Reel Talent Management as well as Unwell’s principals Cooper and Matt Kaplan and head of TV Mina Lefevre. Jaiden Kaplan will serve as creative executive for Kapital, which is the studio.
A rep for Netflix declined comment.
The project originated with Hale who read and fell in love with the book. She, along with her manager Leeds, took it to Kaplan with whom she had been talking about collaborating for awhile.
Dead Letters would mark former Pretty Little Liars star Hale’s return to series television where she most recently starred in Katy Keene and Ragdoll in addition yo reprising her Wizards of Waverly Place role on the sequel, Wizards Beyond Waverly Place. Her recent film credits include the 2024 Which Brings Me To You and Running On Empty as well as the upcoming F*** Marry Kill and White Mars. She is repped by CAA and Leeds at Reel Talent Management.
Rachel Caris Love and Liz Friedlander
Courtesy
Love was creator, executive producer and showrunner of the AMC series Invitation to a Bonfire starring Tatiana Maslany. She also served as co-executive producer on Physical. Love got her start on NBC’s Blindspot, where she stayed for its entire five-season run, rising in the ranks from staff writer to co-EP. She is currently co-creating an ensemble crime-soap with Carlton Cuse in the works at Netflix and writing an action rom-com feature for Will Smith. Love is repped by Kaplan Perrone and Johnson Shapiro Slewett & Kole.
Friedlander also recently teamed with Kapital for a vampire comedy starring Paul Wesley, which is in development at Fox. She previously served as director/executive producer on the company’s CBS All Access series Tell Me A Story and directed episodes of Kapital’s Starz’s horror comedy series Shining Vale. Friedlander’s credits also include directing the pilots for The Lincoln Lawyer and The Equalizer, which she also executive produced, and ABC’s The Rookie. She is repped by CAA and Behr Abramson Levy Johnson.
Dolan-Leach is repped by CAA.
At Netflix, Kapital previously produced the series Santa Clarita Diet and Merry Happy Whatever.
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