Got your trumpets polished?
Champagne on ice? Confetti on hand?
Good—because it’s time to announce that….
coming to a screen near you…
will be (all fingers crossed)…
The MARY RUSSELL SERIES
featuring Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes
!
Well, no, it’s not real yet. Don’t get our your popcorn quite this early. But I’m headed off for Left Coast Crime tomorrow morning and we just just JUST signed the papers and so I wanted to tell you before I go that we’ve sold the rights to an English production company, one that is just bursting with excitement and ideas and that seems to get the whole idea of Russell & Holmes!!
Here’s the official take on it:
New York Times bestselling author Laurie R. King’s “Mary Russell Series” is now under option to be developed as a television series with King as an active consultant. This beloved series is now comprised of 16 books and counting—King will begin writing a new novel in the series later this summer. More information about the production company optioning the series and their plans will be announced in an updated release later this spring.
More (YES!) to come.
But, do I have your permission to have a glass of champagne at LCC? Or maybe (it being in Honolulu) a MaiTai?
Oh thank god it’s the Brits! Our folks would just fudge it up.
I so agree!!
Seconded!
Haha I said the same!
I agree too!
Ditto. I find myself ONLY watching British TV. There are so many great British shows. I’m so glad that it will be done in Britain and also that Laurie will be an active consultant. I can’t wait.
Congratulations, Laurie!
Congratulations!!! Yes! We are so happy for you, Mary & Sherlock! We will wait impatiently for the fruition of this wonderful news.
Congratulations!
Please, guard its integrity with your life.
Yay! I’ve been waiting for this…
And yes: champagne is most definitely itself in order.
Ahhh! This makes me so happy. Congratulations, Laurie!
Please, keep as much creative control as you can! If you do, we know it will be a high quality program we can all be proud of!!!
For example, currently there is a TV series based on Lev Goodman’s book series “The Magicians” that handles the book-to-TV transition in a non-literal fashion – and this has purist fans in an uproar. However, the author has been directly involved in the TV series, and so far the series has kept the basic framework, the major plot points, and most importantly the SPIRIT of the books intact.
You well know that you can’t please everyone, but as long as you can keep the TV series true to the characters, it will be a success!!!
How very wonderful! Congratulations
Congratulations on a job well done with your Russell &. Holmes books. I have no doubt that the TV series will be a great success.
You deserve the trumpets & confetti.
Fantastic! I’m so thrilled for you and for us! Congratulations!
This is great news!
I have wanted this to happen for so long. Now can we fantasy cast this thing?
This would make a great contest. Who should play Russell and Holmes. David Tennant if he wasn’t busy with Broadchurch.. i can almost see Keira Knightly. If Honeysuckle Weeks was younger.
No idea for Mary, but maybe…
Peter Capaldi for Holmes
and I know it would be from the second book, but…
Gillian Anderson for Margery Childe. I just finished re-re-re-reading it 🙂 and the description fits her so well!
I’ll have to keep searching for a *really* good “Mary”!
I was looking at Dakota Fanning, but she’s only 5’4″ – then I saw that Elle Fanning is 5′ 9″, is near-sighted, is currently 20 years old, and has a multi-national family heritage. Not to mention that she is an accomplished actress with tons of experience, an established name (which helps sell a series), and she’s even blond! I can definitely see her as Mary!
Oh rapture! Oh bliss!
How wonderful, Laurie! I can’t wait for this.
Oooooo – Yippeeeeee – Something really lovely to look forward to. I would say you have most certainly earned a glass or two of champagne.
Now – as Betsy suggested – Fantasy casting – hmmmmmm – my choices would be-
Emma Watson as Mary?
Liam Neeson as Sherlock?
Emma Thompson as Mrs. Hudson?
don’t know for Dr. Watson
Yes, yes, I know, terrible premature, but still fun to play. Who would you choose?
I do love your choices.
Excellent choices!!!!!!
I really would like Jeremy Irons as Holmes. As much as I like Liam Neeson — and I do — he has the wrong physiognomy and physique, lacks that bird-of-prey aura.
Hooray, congratulations and fingers crossed for this good news, and a *yes* to Jeremy Irons!
Yes, Jeremy Irons has that bird of prey look that I associate with Holmes too!
Yes, Yes, Yes, I’ve seen Jeremy Irons as Sherlock since I started the series. Not so sure about Mary, though. A young Cate Blanchet would have been ideal. Really should be someone from Britian – can’t imagine anyone with enough stature and gravitas from this side of the pond…
I am so excited!!!
Absolutely you must celebrate (although I believe a Mai Tai would be too sweet for Mary’s tastes) and we all will join in the merriment and glee! Let’s just ensure that we Americans will have ready access to the productions in a timely fashion.
Fantastic!
Congratulations! I cannot think of a movie series I would enjoy more than Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes. A couple friends and I will toast you with a glass of bubbly as well. Looking forward to the developments….
I asked the question about the possibility of a Mary Russell movie series to Laurie when she was promoted the “Bones of Parks”. In Pasadena, CA on a rainy Sunday morning a couple of years ago. She handled the question as deftly as any polished politician, saying a couple of lines about it being hard to cast before “the pivot” onto a completely different subject!
Wonderful news! This will be so good! Have an extra mai tai for me. Hugs <3
Can’t wait!!
I’ve been waiting! Gosh, I hope its a cross between Foyals War and the Jeremy Brett Series -true to the stories, great atmosphere and amazing acting. Congratulations!
Am filled with joy!
Wonderful! Fantastic! Oh HooRah!
Yes, enjoy a celebratory Mai Tai and know that you’ve made a lot of people very happy with this wonderful news! Thank you and have a great time at LCC.
Congratulations! I’ll be looking forward to watching. I’d go for the MaiTai. On the beach. Add some pupus and enjoy the whole experience!
Congratulations! This is wonderful news!
Maybe we can get together for that Mai Tai. Looking forward to seeing you at LCC.
This is wonderful news! Thank you!
Hallelujah and congratulations Laurie! It is long overdue! Crossing fingers and toes it comes to fruition.
Dream cast??? My vote would be on Keira Knightley as Russell (blue contacts firmly in place) and Jeremy Irons (if he were a tad younger) or the lovely Rufus Sewell as Holmes.
Cheers to that Mai Tai!
Congratulations! I will watch for sure!
I’m glad it’s a Nritish company! Hallelujah. Bery excited for all of us…
BRITISH!! I was too excited!
Waa-Hoo! Finally, it’s about time! So excited!
Great congratulations and have two glasses of bubbly! I am, however, always a bit uncertain as to whether or not I want to see my favorite books, of which yours certainly are, on film/TV, as I hate to have my images of what the characters look like changed. 🙂 That being said, I shall wait to see the outcome and once again, congratulations!
janet
Joy, joy, joy!
I’m not one to watch TV show but I will definitely watch Russell and Holmes when the time comes.
EXCELLENT!! Can’t wait for this to hit my livdad my room screen!! 😀 Congratulations, Laurie!!
that’s what I get for posting a comment from my iPhone: “living room” screen. Egads.
Mazeltov!
Mazel Tov! We will toast the great news at Left Coast Crime later this week!
Drink whatever your little heart desires! With the possible demise of the Sherlock/Freeman/Cumberbatch’s/Gatiss series, a new series would be more than welcome. Many, many congratulations! And now, we wait. 😀
Yes, Well done you. I was thinking of this and hoping for a long time. Now I wonder, if like the Harry Potter series will the players be as I have imagined them, aside from the characters that have already portrayed Sherlock anyway. Will you have a contest and let your readers make suggestions? For Sherlock, of course English, of design tall and refined, but maybe as we have found out, a little bit of a romantic, nurturer with maybe just maybe a little (under the covers Casanovaish secret weapon?? (or whomever the English Equivalent was/is) no was. And Mary should hopefully be an unknown, someone more cunning then “Anne of Green Gables” but as beautiful as Megan Fellow or Jenny Seagrove (?? ) or better.
This is terrific news.congratulations, Laurie! Even though it will be a British series, I believe that one way or another, we Americans will see this series. We just CAN’T be shut out! I am brimming over with excitement!
This is brilliant news, let’s hope the production keeps close enough to the books to translate the wonderful stories.
Bit out of left field, but how about Peter Capaldi as Holmes…..?
I can definitely see Capaldi as Holmes. This is wonderful news!
She’s too old, but the person who first sprang to mind for Mary was Tilda Swinton. Is that too far out in left field? You need someone who looks strong and determined, not just pretty-pretty.
I was just wondering why the Mary Russell/Holmes stories have never been picked up. This is marvelous news. Congratulations! Now we can speculate on who will play Mary.
My husband and I used to cast this series many years ago! These were fun and serious discussions! I couldn’t be happier for you.
Yay- Can’t wait…. Hope they do a good job ! They have wonderful material to work with!
Honey, You may have a whole bottle of Champagne! Congratulations!
Yahoo! It’s about time. I see Emma Watson as Russell and Holmes to be decided later. Whomever they choose, it will be terrific because the stories are so rich and varied. Congratulations, Laurie!
Brilliant news, congratulations! Can’t wait!
Yes! Emma Watson and Allan Cummings might work very nicely.
Congratulations! Thanks for sharing this wonderful news. I’m so excited!
That is terrific news! Hopefully we in Canada will not be left out for viewing…can’t wait!
Yay! I have imagined Eleanor Tomlinson as Mary — young, tough and intelligent!
Congratulations and God bless you. It will be an exciting experience with, I hope, more ups than downs. I am so looking forward to watching Russell and Watson on the screen. I’m sure it will be well done. You deserve a toast of champagne or mai tai to celebrate this new venture. I am so happy for you.
Congratulations! And I agree with some of the others; please make sure you retain creative control. I notice some people have been assuming a British production will be more faithful than an American one. But I saw what the BBC did to Elizabeth George’s Inspector Lynley series (i.e. turned the plots and even some of the characters topsy-turvy) and know that a British production doesn’t always guarantee respect for the author’s creation. Make sure they don’t do that to you!
This is the best news I’ve heard all year. Cheers to you and Mary!
-Nancy in Nashville
I LOVE these books and can’t wait to be able to watch a production of them. This is wonderful news. The British series on PBS and BBC are great!
I will so BEE watching.
This is great news Laurie. I need to get reading ! I’m only on book 4—the Moor. By all means have a glass of champagne.
Wow what fantastic news congratulation!
That will be something to look forward to indeed
Laurie, how perfectly marvelous! Enjoy your Hawaiian celebration, whatever is in your glass.
Congrats to the British!! Can’t wait to see the actors!!!
Oh, Laurie, have an extra glass of Champagne for me! I only hope it airs on broadcast t.v. since we don’t have cable. My popcorn sets ready to be popped.
Congratulations! My first reaction was an intense longing – “Oh! I’m in England! I wonder if I could get involved!” This is truely something to look forward to. AND a new story in the series! 2017 is redeemed 🙂
i have an actor suggestion: PETER CAPALDI!! he would be a great Holmes….
An actress in the role of Mary Russell must be convincing when disguised as a young man. Thinking….
Excellent news. I’m in London and want to be an extra! So very pleased for you Laurie.
That’s excellent news. Congratulations from Australia.
This calls for one of each! And I raise a glass to you and Mary. Thanks for many hours of enjoyment.
This would make a great contest. Who should play Russell and Holmes. David Tennant if he wasn’t busy with Broadchurch.. i can almost see Keira Knightly. If Honeysuckle Weeks was younger.
so very pleased to hear of this magnificent event..I have loved reading the books and am rereading them..again and again.. and will be watching.. as others have said please try to capture the characters that we love in your well written books..I love that she is a very, very intelligent woman..
Hooray for Russell and Holmes but – please – NOT Keira Knightly! The actress needs to be someone who is YOUNG, (early 20s at the latest but still looks like she’s in her teens), TALL, and thin with a mass of blonde curly hair. Blue contacts aren’t enough to do it. And, hopefully, someone who can act with a modicum of gravitas. If only the series had been done years ago when Marta Dusseldorp were younger….
I’m super-late to this party, but…
Grace Gummer as Mary
Peter Capaldi as Sherlock
Toni Collette as Mrs. Hudson (though she’d have to be aged up)
Thought of another one! Alan Cumming as Sherlock. He can do anything!
Can you give us any more news yet about the Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes television show. I am now listening to your books (again) as I try to get 10,000 steps in each day. What wonderful scenes your words create in my imagination!
Sorry, no news yet, the gremlins are still mulling things over. Glad you have something to walk to!
Laurie
Thank you for the update, and the good work that you do 🙂 I’ve been reading the Russell/Holmes series since it came out in ’94 (when I was 14! the first book was a gift from my father), and have also enjoyed your other books. I’m very much looking forward to seeing Mary on the screen, and hope it happens sooner rather than later! Keep us posted!
I have been out of the loop for awhile – family matters and such. While i’ve been gone you all have been busy! Very well excited to learn about a Russell and Holmes series in the future. A treat to look forward to. Please All aye Gods of television: cast it perfectly and let me he author be your guide!
Love the series! It’s been a while since the news broke, can you give us any updates?
So looking forward to it!
Not really, though I understand things are still simmering along…
Laurie