Elizabeth Banks and Jessica Biel are set to headline a series adaptation of the Alafair Burke novel “The Better Sister” at Amazon Prime Video, Variety has learned.
“The Better Sister” is described as a thriller about “Chloe (Biel), who moves through the world with her handsome lawyer husband Adam and teenage son Ethan by her side while her estranged sister Nicky (Banks) hustles to make ends meet while trying to stay clean,” per the official description. “When Adam is brutally murdered, the prime suspect sends shockwaves through the family, laying bare long-buried secrets.”
The series hails from Olivia Milch and Regina Corrado, who will serve as showrunners and executive producers. Banks will also executive produce via Brownstone Productions, as will Biel and Michelle Purple under their Iron Ocean Films banner. Craig Gillespie will direct in addition to executive producing along with Annie Marter through Fortunate Jack Productions. The series is a co-production between Tomorrow Studios (an ITV Studios partner) and Amazon MGM Studios, with Marty Adelstein, Becky Clements, and Alissa Bachner of Tomorrow Studios executive producing. Burke will consult on the series.
“Beyond being an enticing thriller full of twists and turns, ‘The Better Sister’ is a gripping story about family feuds and forgiveness,” says Vernon Sanders, head of television at Amazon MGM Studios. “The brilliant duo of Jessica Biel and Elizabeth Banks are sure to bring these characters to life in the most authentic way alongside Olivia, Regina, Craig, and the talented team at Tomorrow Studios. The series is in the best hands to bring Alafair Burke’s original IP to life for our global Prime Video customers.”
As an actress, Banks is known for starring in “The Hunger Game” and “The LEGO Movie” franchises as well as the “Pitch Perfect” films. Her recent credits include the feature “The Beanie Bubble,” the limited series “Mrs. America,” and the feature “Call Jane.” Banks has also been very active as both a producer and director in recent years. She produced all the “Pitch Perfect” films and directed the second of the three. Most recently, she directed the hit horror comedy “Cocaine Bear.” She has also produced projects like the comedy series “Shrill” and the comedy feature “Bottoms.”
She is repped by UTA, Untitled Entertainment, and Johnson Shapiro Slewett & Kole LLP.
“We are so grateful to Tomorrow Studios for supporting us as we’ve explored the world of this family,” said Milch and Corrado. “Craig Gillespie, who tells vital and bold stories of people willing to go to extremes, brought the perfect vision for the series. And we couldn’t feel luckier to have Jessica and Elizabeth, who have awed us with their rich and layered work, as partners bringing these sisters and their secrets to life.”
This is the second time in a matter of weeks it has been reported that Biel will star in a series adaptation of a novel at a streaming service. Variety reported that Biel will also lead the Peacock series “The Good Daughter,” based on the novel by Karin Slaughter. Biel most recently starred in and executive produced the Hulu limited series “Candy.” She has also previously starred in and executive produced shows like “The Sinner” and “Limetown,” while she and Iron Ocean have produced shows such as Freeform’s “Cruel Summer.” Biel is known for her role in the hit WB series “7th Heaven” and for films like “Blade: Trinity,” “The A-Team,” “The Illusionist,” and “Hitchcock.”
She is repped by UTA, LBI Entertainment, The Lede Company, and Yorn Levine Barnes.
“We are ecstatic to be adapting Alafair Burke’s captivating novel into a television series with Prime Video; this has been a true labor of love for the entire team at Tomorrow Studios,” said Marty Adelstein, Tomorrow Studios’ founder & CEO, and Becky Clements, president and partner. “The intricacies of sisterhood at every age are a dynamic we are all excited to explore inside of a taut thriller. It is a privilege to be working with showrunners as talented as Olivia Milch and Regina Corrado on the first project in our new venture with incomparable director and EP Craig Gillespie. We all feel so lucky to have landed Jessica and Elizabeth as our starring sisters and collaborators – a tour de force matchup in this propulsive new series.”
“I’m excited to be re-teaming with Tomorrow Studios on this taut psychological thriller,” added Gillespie. “When I read Olivia and Regina’s propulsive scripts, I knew I wanted to be a part of it, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to be working with these two world class actresses for the first time. Watching them as rivaling sisters is going to be a blast.”