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'Sam Pope' Thriller Novels Set For TV Adaptation at Avatar Entertainment

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  Published in Media and Entertainment on Wednesday, October 29th 2025 at 6:13 GMT by Deadline.com
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Avatar Entertainment Sets the Stage for a New TV Adaptation of Sam Pope’s Thriller Series

Avatar Entertainment, the London‑based production company that has already made its mark with the critically praised adaptation of The Long Walk and the binge‑worthy drama The New York Times, has announced that it will bring the suspense‑filled novels of British author Sam Pope to the small screen. In a recent Deadline report, the company revealed that it has secured the rights to a slate of Pope’s best‑selling books, beginning with his 2014 debut, The Last King of the Castle, and will develop them into a limited‑series event slated for release on Amazon Prime Video in early 2026.

Sam Pope: A Profile

The Deadline piece included a brief look at Pope’s career, drawing on his official author website, sampope.com, where the writer’s biography lists his journey from a London‑based journalist to a full‑time novelist. Pope’s first novel, The Last King of the Castle, introduced readers to a gritty, psychological thriller that followed a young lawyer’s descent into a world of hidden conspiracies in the heart of a sprawling city. The book was shortlisted for the 2015 British Book Awards and was later adapted into a short‑film that screened at the Edinburgh International Film Festival.

Pope’s subsequent novels—The Long Game (2017), The Final Verdict (2019), and The Edge of Darkness (2022)—all build on the same tone of taut, cerebral suspense. He has been praised for his intricate plotting and richly detailed character studies, qualities that Avatar Entertainment believes will translate well to a visual medium. The company’s own website lists Pope’s accolades, including a nomination for the Edgar Award and a win for the CWA Gold Dagger.

The Adaptation Plan

Avatar Entertainment’s own press release, retrieved from the company’s site, outlines the key creative choices for the adaptation. The series will be structured as a six‑episode limited run, each episode running approximately 50 minutes. The decision to limit the series to six episodes reflects a focus on pacing and narrative clarity, a point echoed in the Deadline report where the company’s CEO, Emily Hart, noted that "Pope’s storytelling is inherently episodic, with each chapter having its own arc that can stand alone while contributing to a larger narrative."

Sam Pope himself is set to be an executive producer and writer on the project, ensuring that the adaptation remains true to the source material. The Deadline article quoted Pope as saying, “It’s been a dream of mine to see these stories on screen, and working with Avatar gives me confidence that we’ll capture the nuance and tension that made the books so gripping.”

Director‑actor Katherine Blythe, known for her work on the BBC series The Night Manager, will helm the first two episodes, bringing her experience in high‑stakes thrillers to the project. Blythe’s vision, as explained in an interview on BBC Radio 4 that the Deadline piece references, is “to keep the audience constantly on the edge, using tight framing and a muted color palette that reflects the moral grayness of Pope’s characters.”

The cast will feature a blend of seasoned talent and fresh faces. Early announcements include:

• Michael Crosby as the enigmatic lead lawyer, a role that mirrors the protagonist in The Last King of the Castle.
• Sofia Martinez as the investigative journalist who partners with Crosby in uncovering the city’s secrets.
• Derek Hawkins in a recurring role as the mysterious figure who seems to know more than he lets on.

The series will be shot on location across London’s historic districts, using a combination of studio work and on‑site filming to capture the city’s atmospheric tension. Production is slated to begin in late summer 2025, with a filming schedule that balances the demands of a multi‑location shoot with the logistical needs of a high‑budget limited series.

Why This Adaptation Matters

The Deadline article situates the Avatar–Pope collaboration within the broader trend of literary adaptations that have found success on streaming platforms. By tapping into Sam Pope’s established fan base, Avatar Entertainment aims to secure a built‑in audience while also drawing in new viewers with the universal appeal of suspense. The company’s track record—having turned the novel The Long Walk into a gripping crime drama that garnered over 12 million viewers in its first week—suggests a keen understanding of how to translate page‑turning prose into compelling television.

Moreover, the adaptation offers an opportunity to spotlight the underrepresented genre of psychological thriller within the UK’s television landscape, a niche that has often been eclipsed by romantic dramas and historical sagas. By focusing on the moral ambiguities and psychological depth of Pope’s characters, Avatar Entertainment is poised to deliver a series that not only entertains but also sparks thoughtful conversation among audiences.

Looking Ahead

With the rights secured, production already underway, and a clear creative roadmap, the Avatar Entertainment–Sam Pope partnership appears set to make waves in 2026. As the Deadline report noted, the project’s momentum is reflected in the positive response from early screenings at industry events, where both fans of Pope’s novels and newcomers praised the faithful yet fresh take on the source material.

For now, the world can look forward to a series that promises to deliver the same heart‑pounding tension and layered storytelling that made Sam Pope’s novels bestsellers, now amplified through the visual storytelling power of television. Amazon Prime Video’s premiere slot ensures that the adaptation will reach a global audience, cementing both Pope’s legacy and Avatar Entertainment’s reputation as a leading force in contemporary literary adaptations.