‘A Simple Favor’ Writer Jessica Sharzer to Adapt Sian Gilbert’s Thriller Novel ‘She Started It’

A Simple Favor and Nerve screenwriter Jessica Sharzer will direct a feature adaptation of Sian Gilbert‘s She Started It, Variety reports.

Released in 2023, publisher William Morrow describes the thriller novel as “Lord of the Flies meets And Then There Were None… but with Instagram and too much Prosecco.”

The story follows follows Annabel, Esther, Tanya and Chloe, once inseparable childhood friends who have since drifted apart. Their adult lives haven’t unfolded quite as they’d imagined, but a shared past and buried secrets have kept them loosely connected.

When they receive an invitation from former classmate Poppy Greer to an extravagant bachelorette weekend on a private island, curiosity, and the promise of luxury, pulls them back together. But the trip is not what it seems. With no cell service, no other guests, and tensions rising, the women soon realize they’ve underestimated Poppy — and each other.

Casting is currently underway for the film, which Sharzer co-wrote with Sarah Masson.

Ryder Picture Company’s Aaron Ryder and Andrew Swett are producing with Lyrical Media’s Alexander Black. Lyrical is financing the development with Jon Rosenberg and Natalie Sellers executive producing.

“Whenever I write a script, I’m directing it in my head and then translating what I see onto the page,” said Sharzer. “With She Started It, I’m very excited to get the chance to see a movie all the way through production, from first draft to final frame.

“The movie is a genre mash-up with a very specific tone and, from the moment I read the novel, I knew I needed to direct it. I’m very grateful to be on this journey with RPC and the Lyrical team.”

Sharzer most recently penned Another Simple Favor, releasing May 1 via Prime Video.

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