New Zealand Crime Fiction Debut

News for immediate release
10 December 2009

New Zealand Crime Fiction Debut

Robyn Malcolm, the star of television’s Outrageous Fortune, will play the role of Anna Markunas in a television series based on this year’s biggest New Zealand crime fiction debut.

An option on the film and television rights to Alix Bosco’s Cut & Run, published by Penguin Group (NZ), has been secured by Auckland production company ScreenWorks.

Chris Hampson, CEO of ScreenWorks, said: ``Cut & Run is a terrific international thriller - but I was attracted to its clear sense of place, its strong local identity and, best, the clarity of its strong central characters. We're delighted that TV3 had the foresight to recognise the potential of the novel in its early stages, and that NZ On Air have joined us in the development of this project into a 2 x 75 minute mini-series, aimed at production in 2010. The timing of the production has been structured to fit around Robyn's busy forthcoming production schedule.’’

Penguin Group (NZ) Publishing Director Geoff Walker said Cut and Run will make a great mini-series. ``The novel features a strong, engaging female character, colourful Auckland and Coromandel settings and a cutting edge plot.

``And because this is the first in a series of novels by Alix Bosco featuring Anna Markunas, this mini series could be the first of many.’’

Alix Bosco is the pseudonym of a writer well known in other media. Her agent, Michael Gifkins, says that in line with practice common overseas, ``she wishes to remain anonymous for good and valid reasons of her own’’.

A second Anna Markunis novel by Alix Bosco, entitled Slaughter Falls, will be published by Penguin Group (NZ) in late 2010.

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