‘A Deadly Education’: Meera Menon To Direct Adaptation Of Naomi Novik’s Fantasy Novel For Universal

02.11.2022 - 20:55 / deadline.com

Universal Pictures has tapped Meera Menon (Ms. Marvel) to direct its film adaptation of the fantasy A Deadly Education — the first title in the bestselling Scholomance Trilogy by Naomi Novik.

Published by Del Rey in September of 2020, A Deadly Education introduces readers to Galadriel “El” Higgins, a sorceress studying at the school of black magic known as the Scholomance, who looks to survive at the storied institution through graduation, while getting a grip on her abilities.

Emily Carmichael (Jurassic World Dominion) and Shantha Susman are adapting the screenplay. Carly Kleinbart brought the project in to Universal and is overseeing development on behalf of Todd Lieberman (Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers, Wonder) and David Hoberman (The Fighter, Wonder), who will produce. Senior Vice President of Production Jeyun Munford and Director of Development Christine Sun are overseeing the project on behalf of the studio.

Novik and her Scholomance Trilogy have been on a roll since A Deadly Education‘s debut as an instant New York Times bestseller. The second book in the series, The Last Graduate, recently won the Lodestar Hugo Award and was another New York Times bestseller. The final book in the trilogy, The Golden Enclaves, was just recently published and is a New York Times bestseller, as well. Other works from the author include the Nebula Award-winning Uprooted, the novel Spinning Silver and the nine-volume series, Temeraire.

Menon was the director behind the critically acclaimed Wall Street-set financial thriller Equity, starring Anna Gunn, James Purefoy, Alysia Reiner and more, which was released by Sony Pictures Classics in 2016. In the years since, the filmmaker has gone on to direct more than 30 episodes of such