Stacey Abrams’ Novel ‘While Justice Sleeps’ Set For TV Adaptation
Deadline is reporting that Working Title Television has nabbed rights to Stacey Abrams’ new novel While Justice Sleeps. The NBCUniversal-backed producer won the rights in a competitive battle and will adapt it as a television series.
The legal thriller, which is being published today by Penguin Random House, follows a Supreme Court justice whose descent into a coma plunges the court, and the country, into turmoil.
It follows Avery Keene, a brilliant young law clerk for the legendary Justice Howard Wynn, who is doing her best to hold her life together; excelling in an arduous job with the court while also dealing with a troubled family. When the shocking news breaks that Wynn – the cantankerous swing vote on many current high-profile cases – has slipped into a coma, Avery’s life turns upside down. She is immediately notified that Wynn has left instructions for her to serve as his legal guardian and power of attorney.
Plunged into an explosive role she never anticipated, Avery finds that Wynn had been secretly researching one of the most controversial cases before the court—a proposed merger between an American biotech company and an Indian genetics firm, which promises to unleash breathtaking results in the medical field. She also discovers that Wynn suspected a dangerously related conspiracy that infiltrates the highest power corridors of Washington.
This is the first novel published under Abrams’ real name. She has previously written eight romance novels under the pen name Selena Montgomery.
Abrams is widely credited with helping Joe Biden win the presidential election by boosting turnout in Georgia and playing a key role in giving Democrats control over the Senate.
Abrams will exec produce the TV series with Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner. Katy Rozelle, Working Title Television’s Head of TV for the U.S., is overseeing development and also serves as executive producer.
“I created While Justice Sleeps to unravel a political mystery about power and secrets through the eyes of a protagonist dealing with her own demons. I am excited about the book’s release today, and I look forward to working with Working Title Television and Universal Studio Group to bring the intriguing world of Avery Keene to television,” Abrams said.