Kari Skogland & ‘The Room’ Scribe Emma Donoghue Team On Movie Adaptation Of Ava Reid’s Gothic Novel ‘Lady Macbeth’…

EXCLUSIVE: Curious Gremlin (The Testament Of Ann Lee) and Kari Skogland‘s newly minted production banner Take A Trip Media are developing a feature adaptation of novel Lady Macbeth, the New York Times bestseller by author Ava Reid.

The gothic feminist retelling of Shakespeare’s play Macbeth centers on the character of Lady Macbeth. Oscar nominee Emma Donoghue (Room) is attached to write the screenplay, with Emmy and BAFTA-nominated filmmaker Skogland (The Handmaid’s Tale) set to direct.

Reid’s 2024 novel “reimagines one of literature’s most enduring figures through a dark, intimate lens, following a young noblewoman thrust into a politically arranged marriage in a brutal medieval world. As she navigates survival, power, and identity within a system designed to constrain her, her transformation unfolds into a portrait of ambition, resilience, and consequence.”

The film will be produced by Scott Aharoni, Sinan Eczacibasi, and Alihan Yalicindag for Curious Gremlin, with Skogland and Mackenzie Munro for Take a Trip Media. The film marks Take A Trip Media’s first production. Peter Gold and Eden Burke will serve as executive producers, with Ben Pitts as associate producer.

On release, the novel quickly generated buzz on platforms including BookTok and Goodreads. Thirty year-old Reid is also known for novels including A Study In Drowning and The Wolf And The Woodsman.

Donoghue is known for Oscar winner Room, as well as The Wonder and H Is for Hawk. Skogland is best known for directing on The Handmaid’s Tale and for directing and exec-producing on The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, The Loudest Voice, Smoke, and upcoming thriller mini series 12 12 12, with Anthony Mackie and Jamie Dornan  for Apple TV.

Take a Trip Media is planning to develop a slate of original projects alongside literary adaptations.

Led by Scott Aharoni, Alihan Yalicindag and Sinan Eczacibasi, Curious Gremlin has worked on movies including The Testament of Ann Lee and The Chronology of Water. Upcoming titles include Dylan Meyer’s The Wrong Girls, starring Kristen Stewart, Seth Rogen, LaKeith Stanfield, Kumail Nanjiani, and Alia Shawkat, to be released by Neon, Lindsay Calleran’s Caity with Chiara Aurelia, Morgan Spector and Zach Cherry, and the Zellner Brothers Alpha Gang.

“At Curious Gremlin, we have always aimed to share our excitement for telling fresh, bold, and daring stories that trust their audience to embrace new perspectives and sit with complexity. In that spirit, Ava Reid’s Lady Macbeth — a ferocious reimagining of the timeless Scottish Play from a fresh and surprisingly overlooked lens — adapted for the big screen by Emma Donoghue, with Kari Skogland in the director’s seat, feels like a natural fit for us,” said Sinan Eczacibasi, co-founder of Curious Gremlin. “We are delighted to be partnering with Take a Trip on this wonderful film and look forward to sharing it with the world.”

“Launching Take A Trip with Lady Macbeth feels deeply aligned with the kind of storytelling we want to champion: visceral, feminine, dangerous, and emotionally uncompromising. Ava Reid’s novel has such a singular pulse and loyal audience, and with Emma Donoghue adapting and Kari Skogland directing, this project brings together artists with a fearless command of tone and character. I can’t imagine a more exciting first film for Take A Trip, and we’re thrilled to be partnering with Curious Gremlin to bring it to life,” added Mackenzie Munro, co-founder of Take A Trip Media.