A24 has acquired the rights to adapt the true-crime podcast ‘The Girlfriends‘ into a TV series.
According to THR, The podcast, which premiered over the summer, recounts the real-life story of a group of women working together to bring their murderous ex to justice. While specifics about the TV adaptation are currently undisclosed, it has already gained the involvement of Michael Showalter and his production company, Semi-Formal Productions, after A24 outbid strong competition for the rights.
Showalter, known for hits like ‘The Dropout‘ and ‘The Eyes of Tammy Faye,’ will direct the series, while Jordana Mollick, his partner at Semi-Formal Productions, is the executive producer. Other executive producers include Conal Byrne, Will Pearson, and Carrie Lieberman from iHeartPodcasts, along with Julia Bromberg and Neil Krishnan from Novel.
This news comes amidst a competitive IP market, as A24, backed by private equity, remains an aggressive buyer. They recently won a bidding war for Paris Hilton’s memoir to produce it for TV, collaborating with Hilton’s 11:11 Media, the Fanning sisters’ Lewellen Pictures, and David Bernad’s Middle Child Pictures.
‘The Girlfriends’ podcast differs from typical true crime stories as it focuses not on the murderer, Bob Bierenbaum, but on his wife, Gail, and a community of women who had relationships with him, potentially facing a similar fate. Bierenbaum was arrested in 1999, found guilty, and sentenced to life in prison the following year, with his confession to Gail’s murder occurring in 2020.
The podcast is hosted by Carole Fisher, one of the women who dated Bierenbaum. It is produced in partnership with No More, a global nonprofit dedicated to combating domestic and sexual violence.
