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A24, Scott Rudin Productions Option ‘Shuggie Bain’ for TV Adaptation

A24 and Scott Rudin Productions have acquired the rights to the 2020 novel “Shuggie Bain” to develop a television series based on it.

Wrritten by Douglas Stuart, “Shuggie Bain” tells of a young boy growing up in 1980s Scotland. All the titular character hopes to achieve is a semblance of normalcy as he’s forced to care for his alcoholic mother — Agnes Bain — and survive the rigors of being teased by others for his effeminate qualities. It is inspired by Stuart’s childhood in Glasgow.

“I am thrilled to be partnering with A24 and Scott Rudin Productions in bringing ‘Shuggie Bain’ to the screen,” Stuart said in a statement. “I often thought of the book in cinematic terms, and the glamourous, calamitous Agnes Bain certainly believes herself to be the star of her own movie. This is a chance to show the city of Glasgow with all her tenacity and unsinkable spirit, and to celebrate the love and hope between Shuggie and Agnes.”

Scott Rudin and Eli Bush are set to produce the project, and Stuart will adapt the book for the screen himself.

“Shuggie Bain,” which marks the author’s debut novel, earned various honors over the course of 2020. It received a Booker Prize and was given the title of “Book of the Year” by two publications. The novel also charted in the top spot of the Los Angeles Times’ bestsellers list and landed at number 3 for the New York Times’ list.

“Douglas Stuart is an incredibly talented and sophisticated writer, capturing his world and characters with the kind of authenticity, rhythm, vivid detail, and heartbreaking emotion that you rarely see in any book, let alone a debut novel,” read a statement by the two production companies. “We are so excited to work with him to tell this powerful and deeply moving story in a new way.

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