AMC nabs rights to Emily Carpenter's southern gothic horror novel Gothictown

AMC is building on its current slate of southern gothic television shows with the reported development of Gothictown, an adaptation of Emily Carpenter's upcoming novel of the same name.

Deadline shares that the network is still in the "early stages," but has tapped Abby Ajayi to write, showrun, and executive produce the series.

Per the GoodReads description of the book, Gothictown centers on a restauranteur named Billie Hope, who receives a mysterious and generous offer from the "Juliana Initiative," a group supposedly dedicated to rebuilding the town's economy post-pandemic.

The offer would allow Billie to purchase a spacious Victorian home for a mere $100, allowing her the chance to open a new restaurant. But upon arrival in the charming town of Juliana, Georgia, Billie begins to notice strange things about the community, enough to fear that she and her family might never get the chance to leave.

Gothictown sounds like it would fit in perfectly with its other television series that dabble in southern gothic, namely the network's Anne Rice Universe, which includes Mayfair Witches, Interview with the Vampire, and the upcoming Talamasca series.

Ajayi is an Emmy Award-nominated writer-producer best known for her work on shows like Inventing Anna, The Riches, How to Get Away with Murder, and The First Lady. Gothictown came to fruition as part of AMC's overall first-look deal with Made With Love Media, which acquired the rights to Gothictown and will produce. The company also produced the critically acclaimed Netflix film They Cloned Tyrone.

Gothictown is expected to be published on March 25, 2025 by Kensington Publishing Corp. The official description on Kensington's website describes the novel as having "echoes of Shirley Jackson’s 'The Lottery' and 'Sharp Objects' by Gillian Flynn" and lists Gothictown as a "Publishers Marketplace BUZZ BOOKS Selection."

The book is currently available to preorder wherever books are sold, namely through retailers like Amazon and Barnes & Noble.