When Caleb Carr was writing his 1994 novel The Alienist, he had a feeling that the story could be the basis of a great movie. Hollywood clearly agreed with him – the film rights were purchased nearly a year before the book hit store shelves. Unfortunately, the film version could never quite get off the ground despite the involvement of well known producers and directors and the attempts of various screenwriters to craft an adaptation that could get a greenlight. The development process was so rough that it even soured Carr on the idea of selling the film rights to his work.
In 2017, the characters of The Alienist will finally be reaching the screen, but not in a feature film. Instead, Paramount Television, Anonymous Content, Studio T, and TNT are teaming up to adapt the novel as an event series. True Detective's Cary Fukunaga is on board as executive producer and Jakob Verbruggen will be directing the series, working from scripts written by the likes of Eric Roth, Hossein Amini, Gina Gionfriddo, E. Max Frye, and John Sayles.
For anyone asking, "What is The Alienist?":
The Alienist is a psychological thriller set in the Gilded Age of New York City in 1896, a city of vast wealth, extreme poverty and technological innovation. When a series of haunting, gruesome murders of boy prostitutes grips the city, newly appointed police commissioner Theodore Roosevelt calls upon criminal psychologist (aka alienist) Dr. Laszlo Kreizler and newspaper reporter John Moore to conduct the investigation in secret. They are aided by a makeshift crew of singular characters, among them the intrepid Sara Howard, a young secretary on Roosevelt's staff who is determined to become the first female police detective in New York City. Using the emerging disciplines of psychology and early forensic investigation techniques, this band of social outsiders tracks down one of New York City's first serial killers.
Back in November, it was announced that Daniel Brühl and Luke Evans would be starring in the series as "alienist" forensic psychologist Dr. Laszlo Kreizler and reporter John Moore, respectively, and now we know who the female lead is as well.
Dakota Fanning has signed on to play Sara Howard, the secretary who aspires to become New York City's first female police detective. Howard is described as being "primly dressed but beautiful" and "self-possessed and intelligent". It's also noted that she "shakes hands like a man."
Filming on The Alienist will soon commence in Budapest.