Stephen L. Carter’s The Emperor of Ocean Park is headed to the small screen, Variety reports.
Carter’s novel, published in 2002 by Knopf, follows Talcott Garland, a law professor who suspects that his father, a disgraced judge, might have been murdered. In a starred review, a critic for Kirkus called the book “a melodrama with brains and heart to match its killer plot.”
The novel was the first-ever pick for the Today show book club and became a bestseller. It won the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award and was nominated for a Los Angeles Times book prize. Carter wrote two subsequent novels, New England White and Palace Council.
MGM+ is developing the series based on the novel. Sherman Payne (Legacies, Shameless) will be the series’ showrunner and is writing the teleplay for its first episode. Damian Marcano (Snowfall, American Gigolo) will direct several episodes of the series.
“Stephen L. Carter’s bestselling novel set a new standard for stories about power, race, politics, and wealth,” Payne said. “It’s exceedingly rare to see Black people depicted in these settings, and I believe viewers of all backgrounds will be entertained by our portrayal of the extraordinary Garland clan and the intrigue that engulfs them. I’m overjoyed to partner with John Wells Productions, Warner Bros., and MGM+ to bring this remarkable mystery to the screen.”
Michael Schaub, a journalist and regular contributor to NPR, lives near Austin, Texas.
