A New TV Option for Bestselling Landmark Latina Novel, THE DIRTY GIRLS SOCIAL CLUB
I'm so excited to announce that director-producer Jessy Terrero and his production company Cinema Giants have optioned my New York Times and USA Today bestselling novel The Dirty Girls Social Club with an eye towards adapting it as a TV series! (Special shout-out to my entertainment attorney, Judith Karfiol, for negotiating this deal on my behalf, and to BeLatina founder Lisa Cavalli for introducing me to Jessy and his incredible team!) As Deadline Hollywood recently said in their profile of him, "Terrero is a Dominican-American filmmaker who first gained recognition for his work in the music industry, creating videos for such notable artists as Jennifer Lopez, 50 Cent, Enrique Iglesias, Daddy Yankee, Maluma and Bad Bunny, which have amassed over 21 billion views. Terrero has previously created and directed original series for Netflix and YouTube originals, including the female-driven drama BRAVAS, set in Puerto Rico."
Yes, billion. With a B, as in Better Believe it, Baby!
Here's an example of Cinema Giants' work in music video, by the amazing Latina director Laura Castellanos Torres. Cinema Giants really are incredibly good visual storytellers! And everyone at the company understands everything about my book and worldview.
The Dirty Girls Social Club, a nuanced portrayal of six diverse Latina friends in Boston, has sold close to half a million copies in the United States alone, and was translated into eleven languages. It got me compared to author Terry McMillan (who shattered stereotypes of US-based Black women in trailblazing novels like Waiting to Exhale). The book's success inspired Time magazine to name me one of the 25 Most Influential Hispanics in the United States. Some of you might have heard about a DIRTY GIRLS SOCIAL CLUB film or TV series deal in the past. You're not wrong! The book has been in development before. Hollywood wasn't quite ready for my voice back then. They're ready now. Jessy and Cinema Giants are the team to get it made the right way. Jessy is currently in talks with a Latina screenwriter-showrunner about adapting the book. I'm on board as the Creator & an Executive Producer. I promise you'll all love Jessy's vision for the show as much as I do! Cinema Giants will begin network pitch meetings once the rest of the talent package is finalized.
In related news, I'm about to ink another amazing TV deal with a different production company, on my forthcoming Jodi Luna suspense series about a Latina game warden in northern New Mexico. HOLLOW BEASTS, the first book in that series will be published on April 4, 2023, from Thomas & Mercer books, edited by Liz Pearsons.
I hope to have many more updates soon!