Penguin Random House: Books by Putnam Authors Jeffery Deaver and Nikita Gill Going From Page to Screen

Jeffery Deaver’s THE NEVER GAME and Nikita Gill’s THE GIRL AND THE GODDESS: Stories and Poems of Divine Wisdom – both books published by Putnam – are being adapted for television. A series based on Deaver’s 2019 novel is coming to CBS, with This Is Us actor Justin Hartley set to star, and Ken Olin to direct the pilot. Game of Thrones star Lena Headey is producing a series adaptation of Gill’s book with Boat Rocker Studios.

In THE NEVER GAME, a young woman has gone missing in Silicon Valley and her father has hired Colter Shaw to find her. The son of a survivalist family, Shaw is an expert tracker. Now he makes a living as a “reward seeker,” traveling the country to help police solve crimes and private citizens locate missing persons. But what seems a simple investigation quickly thrusts him into the dark heart of America’s tech hub and the cutthroat billion-dollar video-gaming industry.

“I couldn’t be happier that THE NEVER GAME is coming to CBS, and that Colter Shaw will be brought to life on screen soon,” Hartley said. “When I read the book, I was immediately drawn to the character and the story; developing this project with Ken has been a true labor of love. Colter is going to kick some serious ass, and I can’t wait for audiences to meet him.”

In THE GIRL AND THE GODDESS, we meet Paro – a girl with a strong will, a full heart, and much to learn. Born into a family reeling from the ruptures of Partition in India, we follow her as she crosses the precarious lines between childhood, teenage discovery, and realizing her adult self. In the process, Paro must confront fear, desire and the darkest parts of herself in the search for meaning and, ultimately, empowerment.

“I’ve long been in love with Nikita’s words. The Girl and the Goddess is a tale that just begs to be seen and celebrated,” said Lena Headey. “I’m so excited that we now get to tell this story.”

Gill commented, “I’m delighted to be working with Lena, Peephole and Boat Rocker to bring my deeply personal tale to life. They’re an absolute dream team.”