Producers Scott Delman and Zanne Devine have optioned “The Peacock and the Sparrow,” the debut spy thriller from former CIA operations officer I.S. Berry, for an upcoming feature film adaptation.
Set during the Arab Spring in Bahrain, “The Peacock and the Sparrow” follows a CIA spy whose mission goes awry as he becomes entangled in murder, conspiracy and an unpredictable revolution. Tackling love, betrayal, espionage and the complexities of the Middle East and international relations, Berry’s novel was named the Times Thriller of the Year, the Telegraph Thriller of the Year, and a New Yorker, Financial Times, Guardian and NPR best book of the year. It won the 2024 Edgar Award, International Thriller Writers Award, Barry Award and Macavity Award for Best First Novel.
“’The Peacock and the Sparrow’ is one of the most exciting new novels we’ve read in years, and there was never a doubt in our minds that the story demanded to be told on film,” Delman and Devine said in a joint statement. “We’re overjoyed to be bringing I.S. Berry’s essential and heart-pounding story to the screen.”
Casting and full creative team details for the film will be announced at a later date. Berry is currently working on a second spy novel related to “The Peacock and the Sparrow,” inspired by true events, that follows a half-British, half-Iraqi woman as she penetrates an Al Qaeda cell in Europe and becomes a double agent during the Global War on Terror.
Berry spent six years as an operations officer for the CIA, serving in wartime Baghdad and elsewhere. She has lived and worked throughout Europe and the Middle East, including two years in Bahrain during the Arab Spring.
“The Peacock and the Sparrow” is the latest in the roster of upcoming projects for the producers. Thirteen-time Tony Award winner Delman, who executive-produced the critically-acclaimed HBO miniseries “Station Eleven,” is developing a scripted series for Lionsgate based on the book “Billion Dollar Fantasy,” as well as the inside story of the Shohei Ohtani gambling scandal. On stage, Delman has produced such shows as “The Ferryman,” “Leopoldstadt” and “Network.” Devine’s producing credits include movies such as “I, Tonya,” “Mr. Holmes” and “Easy A.” “Youngblood,” Devine’s remake of the ice hockey cult classic, will be released this March.
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