Bridgerton’s Adjoa Andoh To Exec Produce Screen Adaptation Of Vanessa Riley’s novel Island Queen
Bridgerton’s Adjoa Andoh has come onboard as an executive producer to the screen adaption of Vanessa Riley’s novel Island Queen. The book was optioned by acclaimed film and television director Julie Anne Robinson (The Last Song, Orange Is The New Black) and her UK based production company Longboat Pictures. Longboat co-founder Victoria Fea also joins as an EP.
Island Queen is based on the true story of Dorothy “Doll” Kirwan Thomas, who was born enslaved, bought her freedom, and became one of the wealthiest and most powerful landowners in the early 1800’s Caribbean. Longboat Pictures secured the novel at the manuscript stage.
“Vanessa has crafted a groundbreaking and inspiring story that vividly depicts the remarkable life of Dorothy Thomas,” Robinson said. “We are so excited to be bringing it to the screen, and I could not be happier to have this opportunity to continue the collaboration with Adjoa that began on Bridgerton.”
Riley’s novel, which was released by William Morrow earlier this month, is garnering critical praise, with The New York Times calling it “evocative and immersive.”
Andoh is an actor, writer, director and producer across theatre, television and film. She is currently playing Lady Danbury (NAACP Nominee for best supporting actress), in Bridgerton. Upcoming for Netflix, Nneneke in The Witcher. Among her many and varied film and TV credits are Fractured (Netflix), Adulthood, Cucumber (C4), and a series regular in Doctor Who (BBC). In 2019 she conceived, co-directed, and played Richard II in the critically acclaimed first all women-of-colour Shakespeare on a UK stage, at Shakespeare’s Globe.