Buccaneer grabs rights to The Doll Factory

Buccaneer Media has acquired to the TV rights the novel The Doll Factory, written by Scottish author Elizabeth Macneal.

The Victorian-era mystery attracted a frenzy of interest from publishers, with Pan Macmillan/Picador eventually acquiring the UK rights earlier this year, beating off competition from 13 other publishers.

Set in London 1850, The Doll Factory tells the story of Iris, an aspiring artist who works in a doll-making shop, and Silas, a reclusive collector captivated by the strange and beautiful.

They meet by chance in Hyde Park during the construction of The Great Exhibition. For Iris, it is the encounter of a moment – forgotten seconds later. But for Silas the meeting marks a new beginning. He decides his life will be incomplete without her

Tony Wood, CEO of Buccaneer Media said “This astonishing literary thriller has already created a sensation, even before publication. Competition has been huge at each step it has taken. It’s an honour to announce a collaboration with Elizabeth Macneal; she’s an amazing talent, who I am delighted to bring into the Buccaneer fold”.

Wood, who will also executive produce for Buccaneer, says the company has appointed APA to represent the production in the US. Buccaneer acquired the TV rights from Hayley Steed at Madeleine Milburn Ltd.

In 2016 Buccaneer’s first scripted drama Marcella (pictured) aired to critical and global acclaim. The eight-part crime thriller for ITV and Netflix was written and created by Hans Rosenfeldt and is his first drama exclusively created in the English language.