MGM Television, Eagle Pictures and Barbary Films have started production in Montreal, Quebec, Canada on a 10-part television series event for premium cable network EPIX, an MGM company, based on the bestselling European novel by Joël Dicker, The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair, which has sold more than two million books worldwide and was translated into more than 25 languages. The suspenseful dramatic series stars Golden Globe and Emmy Award nominated actor Patrick Dempsey (Grey’s Anatomy, Bridget Jones’s Baby) in the title role as Harry Quebert, a literary icon who suddenly finds himself indicted for murder after the body of a young girl is found buried on his property. Marcus Goldman, a successful young novelist who has been mentored by Harry Quebert, will be played by Ben Schnetzer (Snowden, Pride). Jean-Jacques Annaud (Seven Years in Tibet, Black Gold), director of the Academy Award-winning film Black and White in Color, will make his television directorial debut, directing every episode of the series.
The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair takes place in coastal Maine and focuses on Marcus Goldman who is visiting Harry Quebert’s home to find a cure for his writer’s block as his publisher’s deadline looms. Marcus’ plans are suddenly upended when Harry is sensationally implicated in the cold-case murder of Nola Kellergan, a fifteen-year-old girl who has been missing for many years.
Damon Wayans Jr. (New Girl) will play Sgt. Perry Gahalowood, a Maine State Police investigator who is investigating the death of Kellergan. Academy Award nominee Virginia Madsen (Joy, Designated Survivor, Sideways) plays Tamara Quinn, Jenny Quinn’s mother and the owner of a local diner who learns of a secret about Quebert.
Rounding out the cast are Kristine Froseth (Apostle), a newcomer who plays Nola Kellergan, the teenage girl who captivates Harry Quebert and becomes his muse; Colm Feore (House of Cards) as the wealthy and inscrutable Elijah Stern, one of the most powerful men in New England who’s spent his life atoning for a secret past; Josh Close (Person of Interest) plays Luther Caleb, Elijah Stern’s right hand man who suffers from disfiguring scars caused by a horrific attack that happened in his past; Matt Frewer (Timeless) as Reverend Kellergan, Nola’s eccentric father; Connor Price (X Company) as Young Travis Dawn, a rookie cop who falls love with Jenny Quinn, a former prom queen played by Tessa Mossey (The Glass Castle) in her teenage years and by Victoria Clark (Homeland) in her adult years; Craig Eldridge (The Death and Life of John F. Donavan) plays the elder Travis Dawn who has risen in the ranks to become chief of police; Kurt Fuller (Phil) plays Police Chief Gareth Pratt who originally ran the investigation into Nola’s disappearance, but is now retired; Don Harvey (The Deuce) as Bobbo Quinn, Tamara Quinn’s husband; Felicia Shulman (Brad’s Status) as Maggie Pratt, Chief Gareth Pratt’s wife and the town busybody; Wayne Knight (Narcos) as Benjamin Roth, Harry’s high-priced, high-pressure attorney.
Lyn Greene (Masters of Sex, The Interestings) and Richard Levine (Masters of Sex, The Interestings) wrote the pilot script and several episodes based on an adaptation by Annaud. The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair is executive produced by Annaud, Tarak Ben Ammar (Monty Python’s The Life of Brian, Hannibal Rising, Black Gold), Fabio Conversi (The Great Beauty, Youth), Greene, and Levine. The series is produced by MGM Television and Eagle Pictures with MGM serving as the lead studio. MGM’s Lindsay Sloane, Executive Vice President of Television Production & Development and Ken Raskoff, Senior Vice President, Television Production & Development will oversee production on behalf of the studio. Jocelyn Diaz, Executive Vice President, Original Programming, will oversee on behalf of EPIX.
“Joël Dicker’s exquisite thriller, The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair has captivated a worldwide audience with its complicated tale of love and lies. I am thrilled that this first class ensemble cast led by Patrick Dempsey and the incomparable director Jean-Jacques Annaud, get to bring provocative page-turner to life,” said Steve Stark, MGM’s President, Television Production & Development.
“The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair was the ideal project for my first American television venture. It is a rich and nuanced novel set in a small New-England town and has all the elements for a classic mystery. Having MGM, Tarak and Fabio as my partners has given me the ability to assemble a formidable cast and a talented crew. Their enthusiasm for Harry Quebert is equal to my own,” said Annaud.
“In searching for a partner with Fabio Conversi to produce The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair, I turned to long-time friend and colleague Gary Barber,” said Ben Ammar, Eagle Pictures. “Under his leadership, along with Mark Burnett who runs the television group and Steve Stark, their team has created high-quality, award-winning series and I am confident that the MGM team will bring the same level of excellence to this internationally appealing project based on a European best-selling novel with an American story.”
“With its provocative subject matter, inspired casting and source material from master storyteller Joël Dicker, The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair is the perfect addition to our offerings at EPIX,” said Mark Greenberg, President and CEO, EPIX. “We look forward to working with MGM Television, Eagle Pictures and this fantastic creative team as we continue our expansion into original scripted programming.”
“The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair was a long awaited adaptation in a highly competitive environment. My partner and I secured the rights and brought Jean-Jacques and MGM Television onboard,” said Conversi, Barbary Films.
