Last year, it was announced that Blumhouse Television had acquired the adaptation rights to The Quiet Tenant, the debut novel from author Clémence Michallon (you can pick up a copy HERE), with the intention of turning it into either a limited series or a streaming feature. Now Deadline has an update on the project, which is moving forward as a limited series: CSI creator Anthony E. Zuiker has come on board to serve as writer and showrunner, and Secret Menu will be producing the show alongside Blumhouse. Secret Menu is a media company that was launched last December by Charlize Theron, producer Dawn Olmstead, and Theron’s Denver & Delilah partners Beth Kono and AJ Dix.
Theron, Olmstead, Kono, and Dix are executive producers on The Quiet Tenant with Blumhouse Television’s Jason Blum and Chris Dickie, plus Zuiker and Michallon.
Published by Knopf in the U.S. and Abacus in the U.K., The Quiet Tenant has been described as an “expertly paced psychological thriller”. It’s the story of a serial killer, narrated by those closest to him: his 13-year old daughter, his girlfriend and the captive victim he has earmarked for death. In the book. Aidan Thomas is a hard-working family man and a somewhat beloved figure in the small upstate town where he lives. He’s the kind of man who always lends a hand and has a good word for everyone. But Aidan has a dark secret he’s been keeping from everyone in town and those closest to him. He’s a kidnapper and serial killer. Aidan has murdered eight women and there’s a ninth he has earmarked for death: Rachel, imprisoned in a backyard shed, fearing for her life. When Aidan’s wife dies, he and his thirteen-year-old daughter Cecilia are forced to move. Aidan has no choice but to bring Rachel along, introducing her to Cecilia as a “family friend” who needs a place to stay. Aidan is betting on Rachel, after five years of captivity, being too brainwashed and fearful to attempt to escape. But Rachel is a fighter and survivor, and recognizes Cecilia might just be the lifeline she has waited for all these years. As Rachel tests the boundaries of her new living situation, she begins to form a tenuous connection with Cecilia. And when Emily, a local restaurant owner, develops a crush on the handsome widower, she finds herself drawn into Rachel and Cecilia’s orbit, coming dangerously close to discovering Aidan’s secret.
Blum had this to say about Zuiker joining the project: “I’ve been a big fan of Anthony’s cinematic style and approach to storytelling on TV since the early days of CSI. I knew the minute he pitched The Quiet Tenant that he was the right voice to bring Clémence Michallon’s heart-pounding novel to television, and we are thrilled to produce this project alongside the talented team at Secret Menu who has produced some of the best female character-driven film and TV projects to date.“
Zuiker added: “When I read Clémence Michallon’s The Quiet Tenant, I could not put it down. The descriptive nature of the story and its thrilling sensibilities in the narrative spoke to me for the small screen. This is a story about a woman taking her power back against the most pulse hammering of circumstances.“
Olmstead provided the following statement: “When Jason sent us this intense, taut thriller that took such an original approach to an abduction story, we immediately said yes because it is exactly what Secret Menu was built for. We are so lucky to be working with Blumhouse again and to have scored Anthony Zuiker to adapt.“
Does this Blumhouse / Charlize Theron / Anthony E. Zuiker collaboration sound interesting to you? Share your thoughts on The Quiet Tenant by leaving a comment below.