NBC has ordered the latest project from Amy Poehler: television adaptation of the bestselling novel The Mother-In-Law. The thriller has been given a put-pilot commitment. Written by Sally Hepworth, the novel tells the story of a woman named Lucy and her tense relationship with her mother-in-law Diana. Diana proceeds to commit suicide to escape the pain cancer, or so it says in her suicide note. After her death, an autopsy reveals that she was in fact cancer free, and had instead been poisoned. This, combined with a number of last minute changes to her will, lead Diane’s family to suspect fowl play and question Lucy’s potential involvement in her mother-in-law’s death.
A description cited by The Hollywood Reporter calls the upcoming series “an unexpected thriller that centers on a woman’s complicated relationship with her husband’s family that ends in death, as well as a gripping mystery that explores motherhood, class, race and how dangerous family secrets can be.”
Poehler is attached to the project as an executive producer. The multitalented actor, writer, and producer has recent experience in the thriller genre with Netflix’s dark dramedy Russian Doll, which received multiple Emmy nominations. The Mother-In-Law is one of several projects that Poehler is executive producing at the moment across a broad spectrum of genres. Other shows include the upcoming adult animated series Duncanville for Fox and Adult Swim comedy Three Busy Debras.
Jessica Goldberg, creator of Hulu’s cult drama The Path and a former writer for NBC’s family drama Parenthood, will pen the television adaptation for The Mother-In-Law. In tandem with this, she will also executive produce alongside Poehler as well as Hepworth, Kate Arend, and Dave Becky. Universal TV will produce the series in conjunction with Poehler’s Paper Kite Productions and 3 Arts Entertainment.
NBC has yet to announce a timeline for the series’ release.