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The film rights to Tom Rob Smith’s newly published The Farm (Simon & Schuster) have been snapped up by BBC Films and Shine Pictures after a director “read it in one, enrapt sitting”.
Rights to the psychological thriller set across London and Sweden were bought by Shine Pictures by head of literary acquisitions Sue Swift and will be produced by Shine’s head of film Ollie Madden with Christine Langan executive producing for BBC Films.
Madden said: “I’ve been a huge fan of Tom’s novels since Child 44, and when I picked up The Farm I read it in one, enrapt sitting. It’s very rare that you read something which is simultaneously thrilling, thought-provoking, totally unpredictable and packs a real emotional punch. We look forward to adapting Tom’s brilliant work into a feature film”.
Langan added: “The Farm skewers you on the horns of a fabulous dilemma while effortlessly drawing you into a curious and strangely sinister world. Tom Rob Smith’s latest novel is a sophisticated, layered narrative with real page turning urgency and BBC Films is thrilled to be partnering with Shine in its journey to the big screen.”
Simon & Schuster bought UK & Commonwealth rights to the title as part of a two-book deal in 2008. S&S m.d of adult publishing Suzanne Baboneau acquired two more titles from Smith through Felicity Blunt at Curtis Brown over Frankfurt Book Fair last year. The Farm has gone on to sell in over 13 territories. Partially based on Smith’s real life-experience, The Farm opens with 29-year-old protagonist Daniel receiving a phone call from his father in Sweden to say his mother is suffering a psychotic episode, just before she arrives unexpectedly in London adamant that his father is telling lies.
Tom Rob Smith’s Child 44 trilogy has sold over four million copies worldwide, the first of which has been made as a film directed by Daniel Espinosa and starring Tom Hardy and Noomi Rapace, and is due for release this year. He also created the five-part BBC backed mini-series, "London Spy", which will air in 2015.
The Farm has sold 8,497 copies via Nielsen BookScan and 7,677 e-books since publication in mid-February.