One of Freida McFadden's most popular novels is being adapted for Netflix
By Mads Lennon
![In this photo illustration, the Netflix streaming app logo... In this photo illustration, the Netflix streaming app logo...](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_5000,h_2812,x_0,y_256/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/GettyImages/mmsport/304/01j42tsrep8qe66qjd9c.jpg)
If you spend ample time on #BookTok or social media websites like GoodReads, then odds are you're at least familiar with the name "Freida McFadden." A practicing physician and book author, McFadden is the writer behind several bestselling psychological thrillers like The Housemaid, Never Lie, The Inmate, and The Teacher.
According to an exclusive report from The Hollywood Reporter, Netflix is teaming up with Shawn Levy's production banner 21 Laps Entertainment to adapt Never Lie as part of the company's first-look feature deal (meaning this adaptation will likely be a film, not a series).
On GoodReads, Never Lie is McFadden's most popular book apart from The Housemaid and The Housemaid's Secret, with more than 693k users logging it since it was first published in 2022.
Never Lie takes place almost entirely inside the former manor of acclaimed psychiatrist Dr. Adrienne Hale, who went missing four years before the novel begins. Newlywed couple Tricia and Ethan think the house might be perfect for them but find themselves trapped there amid a bad snowstorm.
While stuck, Tricia goes poking around for something to read and stumbles upon Dr. Hale's secret room, containing dozens of old tapes recorded from her patient sessions. Listening to the recordings, she slowly uncovers the terrifying events that led to the doctor's disappearance.
Having read Never Lie, I can see why this novel was chosen to adapt. I was disappointed with the twist, which I won't spoil here, but depending on the direction and script of the Netflix project, it might be far more satisfying to watch the story unravel via the visual medium.
21 Laps Entertainment has collaborated with Netflix on several projects, most notably the blockbuster series Stranger Things, which is currently in production on its fifth and final season.
The company also adapted All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr for the streaming service and produced Lionsgate's upcoming survival horror film Never Let Go, directed by Alexandre Aja and starring Halle Berry. Never Let Go will be released theatrically on September 27 (formerly the date occupied by Saw XI before Lionsgate pushed it back to 2025).
Levy himself is riding a high right now with his mega-successful superhero movie Deadpool & Wolverine, which he directed. The Marvel movie is currently playing in cinemas and will likely cross the $1 billion mark soon.
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