The Couple Next Door Updates: Is The Novel Adaptation Still Happening?

Is a planned TV adaptation of The Couple Next Door book still happening? In the last decade there’s been a solid run of great thrillers based on the works of female authors, such as Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl or Paula Hawkin’s The Girl On The Train. Of course, the works of the late, great Agatha Christie never go out of the style either, with the next major adaptation of her books being Death On The Nile, directed by and starring Kenneth Branagh as Poirot.

While author Shari Lapena’s books have yet to be adapted, that could soon be set to change. The Canadian author 2016 novel The Couple Next Door saw parents Anne and Marco decide to leave their baby daughter Cora alone while they head next door for a dinner party with their neighbors. Despite taking a baby monitor and checking on Cora throughout the night, when they return home the baby is gone under mysterious circumstances.

That brief The Couple Next Door summary does little to convey the sheer number of twists and turns the story takes, and it received praise for its intricate plotting. The thriller book was also compared to the likes of Gone Baby Gone and while it has the bones of a solid adaptation movie or miniseries adaptation, but will it receive one?

The Couple Next Door Was Optioned For A TV Series

In 2018 it was confirmed The Couple Next Door had been optioned for a TV series adaptation by Paramount Television, Sugar23 and Anonymous Content. Playwright and actress Lila Feinberg – who previously wrote an episode of drama series Younger – was hired to work on the show, which was set to follow three couples leaving in the same building.

There Have Been No Updates On The Couple Next Door Series

Following The Couple Next Door being optioned, there’s been little in the way of updates on its progress. No casting or directors have been attached, and Shari Lapena has since penned more thriller novels like An Unwanted Guest and Someone We Know.

The Couple Next Door’s Status Is Unknown

Given the general dearth of information on The Couple Next Door’s development, it’s hard to know what its current status is. It’s possible it’s still been developed behind the scenes and might move ahead in the near future, but now it seems progress has gone cold. It would be a pity if it didn’t move ahead, as it’s one of the most compelling thriller books of recent years.

About The Author

Padraig Cotter
(3484 Articles Published)

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It’s pronounced Paw-rick, not Pad-raig. Now that’s out of the way, a brief introduction. Padraig has been writing about film online since 2012, when a friend asked if he’d like to contribute the occasional review or feature to their site.

A part-time hobby soon blossomed into a career when he discovered he really loved writing about movies, TV and video games – he even (arguably) had a little bit of talent for it. He has written words for Den of Geek, Collider, The Irish Times and Screen Rant over the years, and can discuss anything from the MCU – where Hawkeye is clearly the best character – to the most obscure cult b-movie gem, and his hot takes often require heat resistant gloves to handle.

He’s super modern too, so his favorite movies include Jaws, Die Hard, The Thing, Ghostbusters and Batman. He can be found as i_Padds on Twitter making bad puns.

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