Deadline has reported today that the Stranger Things actress Millie Bobby Brown will adapt her world-renowned debut novel Nineteen Steps for Netflix. She will star in the movie, which Brown will also reportedly produce under her own PCMA Productions banner. Adapting the feature will be the four-time Oscar-nominated writer/producer Anthony McCarten (I Wanna Dance with Somebody, Bohemian Rhapsody), while Jonathan Eirich and Nick Reynolds respectively serve as a producer and executive producer for Rideback.
Netflix and Brown are no strangers (excuse the pun!) to each other, as Brown gained worldwide fame with her breakthrough role as Eleven in the international phenomenon Stranger Things, which will return to the streaming service for its fifth and final season next year. After that, Brown starred in Netflix movies such as Damsel and Enola Holmes and appeared in blockbusters such as Godzilla vs. Kong and Godzilla: King of the Monsters. Their next significant collaboration will be the Russo Brothers’ The Electric State, in which Brown will star opposite Chris Pratt. The feature is now in post-production and is set to be released in March 2025.
Brown’s 2023 World War II novel is based on her own grandmother’s experiences and tells the story of 18-year-old Nellie Morris, who lives in East London circa 1943. Nineteen Steps follows her attempts to navigate the difficult ramifications of the war, including how she deals with the bomb threats and rationing. While there’s a lot of sadness, death, and despair, there’s also a glimmer of hope and joy as Nellie falls in love with the American airman, Ray.
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Anthony McCarten and Rideback Will Bring Nineteen Steps to Life
Brown’s novel is in good hands with McCarten, as he already took on the screenplays for global box office successes such as The Theory of Everything and Darkest Hour. Besides Nineteen Steps, he also has something else going on for him right now: The Collaboration. The feature, an adaptation of his own play, revolves around the friendship between two great artists, Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat. The play originated in 2022, when Paul Bettany and Jeremy Pope took the stage at the Young Vic in London to play Warhol and Basquiat, after which it went to Broadway for an extended run into February last year. Bettany and Pope will reprise their roles in the film adaptation.
While Rideback might not ring a bell, the production company is behind big box-office successes such as IT, The Haunted Mansion, and Aladdin. Rideback founder and revered producer Dan Lin left the company earlier this year for a top position as Head of the Film Division at Netflix, after which Jonathan Eirich and Michael Lofaso took over as co-CEOs. It is currently in post-production of Disney’s Lilo and Stitch, which will hit US theatres next summer. Our first glimpse at the new CGI Stitch in the live-action movie was revealed during D23 a few weeks ago, and you can check it out below:
