EXCLUSIVE: In a competitive situation, Universal Television has acquired the rights to Jana Monroe’s memoirs Hearts of Darkness: Serial Killers, the Behavioral Sciences Division, and My Life as a Woman at the FBI develop into a series. winner Filmmakers Susanna Fogel and Julia Ruchman (The Walking Dead) will both write and executive produce, with Fogel serving as director. Monroe and Rain Productions will also serve as executive producers.
Hearts of Darkness follows Monroe as she steps out of the shadows to tell the story of her amazing life shaping law enforcement and intelligence analysis. Monroe explores the cases that have stuck with her, breaking down victimology, offering new insight into the minds of serial killers, and discussing the psychological toll of the job and the obstacles she faced as a woman in the male-dominated FBI.
“I look forward to working with UTV, Susanna and Julia as they bring the stories I experienced to life,” says Monroe. “Entering this adventure with UTV is like watching my life stories unfold on screen in a thrilling fusion of reality and fantasy!”
Monroe and Rain Productions packaged the project and represented rights sales. USG’s Creative Acquisitions and IP Management team, led by Jordan Moblo, was instrumental in securing the rights to the novel.
“Jana Monroe kicks butt and makes a name for herself while defying expectations of what an FBI agent should be,” says Vivian Cannon, EVP of Drama Development at UTV. “Her life story is an incredible thrill ride full of action, suspense and rich, complicated characters that we have never seen on television before. Susanna and Julia are the ideal team to adapt Jana’s memoirs and bring her incredible true story to life!”
Monroe was the inspiration for Jodie Foster’s Oscar-winning role as Clarice Starling The silence of the Lambs. Over the course of her career, she consulted on more than 850 murder cases, including serial killers Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer and Ed Kemper, and was the first and then only female agent in the FBI’s Behavioral Sciences Division at Quantico. She later became the first deputy director of the FBI’s Cyber Division. She is represented by Rain and John Gatti at Loeb and Loeb.
“Susanna and Julia’s passion for the material and their comprehensive and compelling approach to telling these stories made them the perfect choice for the project,” said Mike Vanderhei of Rain Productions. “We are thrilled to have such an incredible team building this series.”