Amazon MGM Studios has acquired Butcher & Blackbird, a feature film adaptation of Brynne Weaver’s bestselling dark romance novel, for worldwide release on Prime Video. Chris McKay will direct, with Emma Laird and Thomas Doherty set to star.
The project was sold by Lyrical Media and Embrace, with Laura Kosann writing the screenplay and Ari Berkowitz and Ava Tramer contributing revisions. Lyrical Media’s Alexander Black and Embrace will produce, while Weaver and McKay will serve as executive producers alongside several executives from Lyrical Media.
Butcher & Blackbird: A Romance Between Two Serial Killers
Based on the first book in Weaver’s Ruinous Love trilogy, Butcher & Blackbird follows two rival killers who hunt other serial killers and compete to outdo each other. As their unusual connection deepens, they begin to question whether a future together is possible.
Published in October 2023, the novel became a bestseller on The New York Times, USA Today and Publishers Weekly lists, while gaining popularity on BookTok. Weaver’s books have sold more than five million copies worldwide and been published in over 25 countries.
McKay previously directed The Tomorrow War, The Lego Batman Movie and Renfield. Laird’s recent credits include 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple and the BBC series Mint, while Doherty currently stars in Hulu’s Paradise.
