Sarah Michelle Gellar is set to star in a television adaptation of Emma Rosenblum’s Bad Summer People, Deadline reports.
Rosenblum’s novel, published in 2023 by Flatiron, tells the story of a group of socialites on New York’s Fire Island whose lives are thrown into disarray after a body is discovered next to a boardwalk. In a starred review, a critic for Kirkus praised the book as “a heck of a beach read.”
Gellar, known for her roles on the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and in films including I Know What You Did Last Summer and Cruel Intentions, will star in and executive produce the series, which will be written by Cara DiPaolo (Ugly Betty, Dead to Me).
Tana Jamieson, an executive vice president at A+E Studios, which is developing the series along with Linden Productions, said, “Bad Summer People is a deliciously sharp and addictive series. Emma’s novel practically leapt off the page, and in Cara’s hands—alongside a dream team of producers at Linden and the iconic Sarah Michelle Gellar—it becomes something even more unforgettable.”
Rosenblum shared news of the adaptation on Instagram, writing, “The amazing people at @aestudiosofficial and @lindenentertainment are set to produce Bad Summer People for TV! And the best part is that the ICONIC @sarahmgellar is attached to star in and executive produce it!!! Ahhhh Buffy in Bad Summer People, I can’t deal. PERFECT CASTING.”
Michael Schaub is a contributing writer.
