Hilde Cracks the Case with Paramount, Anonymous

Paramount Television and Anonymous Content have taken rights to a forthcoming book series inspired by a nine-year-old journalist.

They have optioned Hilde Cracks the Case, which is forthcoming through Scholastic, after what was described as a “competitive auction”.

The books are inspired by news stories Hilde Lysiak has broken in her life as an aspiring journalist.

The TV series will be a mystery drama, with Hilde and her older sister-cum-photographer Izzy uncovering stories.

Paramount and Anonymous (True Detective) have also optioned rights to Lysiak’s life story. She burst into the US national consciousness this year when she broke a story of a murder in her hometown of Selinsgrove through her own newspaper, Orange Street News.

Despite negative social media response, Lysiak has gone on to interview the likes of girls’ rights campaigner Malala Yousafzai.

Paramount’s television unit will lead production of the show. It has a first-look deal for scripted shows with Anonymous, with the latter’s Joy Gorman Wettels executive producing alongside Sharlene Martin of Martin Literary & Media Management.

Gorman Wettels has been pursuing rights to the books since April and, according to a press release, went up against “a number” of other interested parties to secure them.

“When we first learned about Hilde and what she was accomplishing at just 9 years old, we knew her stories would make an impact on youth across the country, showing them what they can accomplish if they set their mind towards a goal,” said Amy Powell, president, Paramount TV. “One of the best parts of our job is working with young talent and, along with our partners at Anonymous Content, we’re excited to create a series based on Hilde’s fresh voice and real-life sleuthing.”

Paramount and Anonymous are already working together to adapt a Brian Yorkey novel as a straight-to-series effort for Netflix titled Thirteen Reasons Why; and Maniac, a ten-episode order also from Netflix that will star Jonah Hill and Emma Stone.