International production company, BlackBox Multimedia, has announced it has optioned the yet-to-be-released blue sky thriller novel Bad Tourists by Caro Carver, and will adapt the book into a TV series. The news follows a monumental year for the company, having coproduced The Castaways and The Serial Killer’s Wife, a double bill of drama series for Paramount+ in 2023, as well as the film projects Home Education (distributed in Italian cinemas by Warner Brothers) and the upcoming This Time Next Year.

Set against a luxurious Maldives backdrop, Bad Tourists follows Darcy, Camilla, and Kate as they embark on what’s expected to be the holiday of a lifetime. Intertwined by their tragic past, the story follows the characters’ desperate search for justice on a remote, exotic island. Beyond the seemingly tropical paradise, Bad Tourists is a story of vengeance and mystery, uncovering the complex layers of its characters and subverting traditional tropes of female friendships, along with unexpected villains, hidden agendas and shocking revelations.

The hotly-anticipated novel will be released by Transworld (UK) and Avid Reader Press (US) in July this year. The book is also being published in Danish and German, with more translations to be announced. The deal was brokered by Anna Weguelin on behalf of Alice Lutyens at the Curtis Brown Group.

Further details around script writers and casting are set to be announced later this year.

CEO and Creative Director of BlackBox MultiMedia, Giuliano Papadia says “There are so many layers to Caro’s writing and the protagonists of her story, which makes Bad Tourists ripe for TV adaptation. With relatable but complex female leads, Caro brilliantly subverts our expectations with sudden twists and turns weaved throughout the narrative. And what better escapism to look forward to in the middle of winter than this scorching thriller!”

Author Caro Carver says “I am thrilled to be working with the team at Black Box and am beyond excited to see how they bring Bad Tourists to the screen.”