Sony Pictures Acquires Film Rights to Freida McFadden’s ‘The Surrogate Mother’
The pre-holiday deal follows the novel’s No. 1 resurgence after an August paperback re-release.
Overview
- Journalist-turned-screenwriter Anna Klassen will adapt the psychological thriller for the screen, with Marc Evans producing.
- The rights push began before Thanksgiving under a ticking-clock deadline, with Sony making an aggressive offer just before the holiday.
- Originally self-published in 2018, the book was reissued in August 2025 by Sourcebooks’ Poisoned Pen Press and returned to No. 1 on the New York Times, Sunday Times and Globe and Mail lists.
- Reader momentum is robust, with more than 102,000 Amazon reviews averaging 4.2 stars and the highest backlist print run of McFadden’s titles to date.
- Industry attention is elevated as McFadden’s The Housemaid opens in theaters today, and The Hollywood Reporter first reported the rights acquisition.