Fake Empire adapting gothic thriller Madman’s Daughter

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

Any project titled MADMAN’S DAUGHTER already has my attention. Tack on that it’s about a mad scientist type and I’m already sold!

I’m talking about a novel by Megan Shepherd (below) that Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa is in talks to adapt for Paramount Pictures, which optioned the book for Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage’s Fake Empire banner. Described a as a gothic thriller, MADMAN’S DAUGHTER would be the first in a planned trilogy of books. It doesn’t hit shelves until January. Here’s the synopsis:

London, 1894. Juliet Moreau has built a life for herself—working as a maid, attending church on Sundays, and trying not to think about the scandal that ruined her life. After all, no one ever proved the rumors about her father’s gruesome experiments. But when she learns her father is alive and continuing his work on a remote tropical island, she is determined to find out if the accusations were true.

Juliet is accompanied by the doctor’s handsome young assistant and an enigmatic castaway, who both attract Juliet for very different reasons. They travel to the island only to discover the depths of her father’s madness: he has created animals that have been vivisected to resemble, speak, and behave as humans. Worse, one of the creatures has turned violent and is killing the island’s inhabitants. Juliet knows she must end her father’s dangerous experiments and escape the island, even though her horror is mixed with her own scientific curiosity. As the island falls into chaos, she discovers the extent of her father’s genius—and madness—in her own blood.

Sounds good to me! Been quite a while since we’ve had a good mad scientist flick! Hopefully MADMAN’S DAUGHTER delivers. We’ll of course be on the lookout for any other updates regarding the project so be sure to check back for those as we hear them.