New Regency has acquired the rights to a sensational nonfiction title that sheds new light on America’s first family of serial killers.
British historian Susan Jonusas’s “Hell’s Half-Acre” presents new revelations about the Benders, a family from 1870s Kansas who went down in the annals of American criminal history for murdering an estimated dozen travelers.
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In 1873, several bodies were discovered buried beneath an orchard of young apple trees next to a roadside cabin. Beneath the cabin was a blood-stained cellar. The owners of the property were the Benders, a family of four who had once lived there but were nowhere to be found. The discovery sent the local community and national newspapers into an uproar that lasted for decades, and sparked a large-scale manhunt for the Benders.
The book, which will be released in March 2022, is based on extensive original archive material. The title will be published by Scribner in the UK and Viking in the US.
The deal was brokered between Simon Shaps of Georgina Capel Associates and Ed Rubin, head of New Regency Television International.
Rubin and Emma Broughton, head of scriptwriting at New Regency Television International, said: “Susan’s gripping and rich book reads like the best suspense thriller, introducing us to a fascinating cast of characters previously missing from the story – the families of the victims, the hapless detectives who lost the trail and the fugitives who helped the murderous Benders escape. We are so excited by the possibilities for an emotional drama that weaves together western, horror and thriller and can’t wait to start development.”
Yariv Milchan, chairman of New Regency, added: “‘Hell’s Half-Acre’ is a great book that captures America as a country on the edge of civilization and lends itself very well to a bold adaptation as a serial novel for television.”
Jonusas is a historian specialising in crime and culture in the 19th and 20th centuries. She studied modern history and English literature at the University of St Andrews in Scotland before completing a master’s degree in the history of science, technology and medicine at King’s College London. Jonusas has written for both CNN and History Today.
“Hell’s Half-Acre is in fantastic hands at New Regency and I’m thrilled to be part of the development process as it evolves,” said Jonusas.
The project is the latest for the “Bohemian Rhapsody” producer’s burgeoning television venture. London-based New Regency Television International recently produced the thriller “The Beast Must Die,” starring Cush Jumbo and Jared Harris, for BritBox UK and AMC.
Her upcoming projects include Sine Tempore, an original series from musician and artist Goldie; The Missing Cryptoqueen, based on the popular BBC podcast; Rub & Tug, written by Pose and Transparent author Our Lady J; and Sorrow & Bliss, based on the bestselling novel by Meg Mason. A television adaptation of Mr & Mrs Smith is also in the pipeline at Amazon, starring Donald Glover.
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