Controversial royal biographer Omid Scobie is set to have an upcoming novel adapted for TV, Universal Television has announced.
Scobie, who co-authored “Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of A Modern Royal Family”, said he was “beyond excited” that his yet-to-be-released fiction book “Royal Spin” had been snapped up by studios in a statement on social media.
The 43-year-old author co-wrote Royal Spin alongside young adult writer Robin Benway – and its rights buyout follows a multi-studio bidding war.
Both the book and its TV adaptation are slated to revolve around an American press officer drafted into Buckingham Palace “with the British monarchy reeling from a wave of scandals” – a plotline likely to raise eyebrows given its co-author.
Scobie said he was “beyond excited” his novel had been picked up
PA
A blurb for the story reads: “Young American politico Lauren O’Connell is plucked from the White House to breathe new life into the Buckingham Palace communications team and help end the Royal Family’s streak of bad press.
“But in an institution steeped in tradition and strict protocol, change isn’t easy – or welcome.
“It turns out the Royal Household can be just as messy and confusing as Capitol Hill.
“Faced with never-ending culture clashes, displeased royal aides with intimidating titles, and risky new love interests, this fish out of water is determined to prove she’s got what it takes – and might even find herself in the process.”
MORE ON SCOBIE AND THE SUSSEXES:
A Dutch translation of Scobie’s biography of the Sussexes sparked a scandal
PA
Scobie and Benway are set to partner up with showrunner Emily Fox on the series, with the latter understood to be writing the show’s script.
In a joint statement, the trio said: “We’re so excited to be partnering with Universal Television on the adaptation of Royal Spin.
“No show or book has ever gone inside the frenzied world of the Buckingham Palace press office, and we can’t wait to throw Lauren – our young American protagonist fresh from the White House communications team – into the deep end of it.”
While Universal execs have talked up the show as a “fresh take that beautifully blends wit and romance”, the show could risk further “burning bridges” between Scobie and the Royal Family – not least in the wake of the scandal which emerged when a Dutch translation of his first biography name-dropped two family members who had allegedly raised concerns over the skin colour of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s children.
Scobie has said he was happy to “burn bridges” with the royals
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A few months ago, Scobie said he was “more than happy to burn my bridges” in order to release a royal-critical book “Endgame” before moving to LA.
In an interview about his future, Scobie said he was “absolutely OK” with being “blacklisted” from Buckingham Palace – and talked up the prospect of moving towards “storytelling” like the sort exhibited in “Royal Spin”.
“I was more than happy to burn my bridges to tell this story because I think that to tell the best version of it you have to shine a light in the darkest places,” he told the New York Times.
“But I also realise that the outcome of that was being essentially blacklisted from things with the palace moving forward. Which I’m absolutely OK with.”
