A TV adaptation is in the works of Kirk Wallace Johnson's The Feather Thief: Beauty, Obsession, and the Natural History Heist of the Century. Deadline reported that Jenna Bush Hager and Universal International Studios have teamed with the author to develop the project. The Feather Thief marks Bush Hager's first project in development under her first-look deal at Universal Studio Group. Johnson will pen the series adaptation. Ben Spector will executive produce on behalf of Bush Hager's production company.
"The Feather Thief has been a favorite book of mine since its release in 2018," said Bush Hager. "Kirk Wallace Johnson is a talented storyteller, and to work with him to adapt this wildly brilliant book for the screen is a dream."
"This book--like the birds, rogues, and adventurers at the heart of it--has had an astonishing life, and, thanks to exuberant readers, continues to find a wide audience," said Johnson. "I'm honored for the opportunity to helm the adaptation with such a great team--their passion for this project was so overwhelming that it made me feel as though I was discovering the story for the first time."
"This why-dunnit thriller is a must-read and will make an absolute must-watch," said Beatrice Springborn, president, Universal International Studios. "It tackles people's desire to control and own nature, the price of obsession and dives into the mind of a teenage flute prodigy who pulled off a massive heist of rare bird feathers and skins. It is a wholly unique experience that, with Kirk adapting, we know will unfold in all its wild, colorful and incredible splendor."