Netflix has handed a series order to First Kill, a YA vampire series based on the short story by New York Times bestselling author Victoria “V. E.” Schwab, with American Horror Story and Scream Queens star Emma Roberts set to produce via her Belletrist Productions. The eight-episode, one-hour series was created, written and executive produced by Schwab. Felicia D. Henderson (The Punisher, Empire) also writes and serves as showrunner.

Schwab’s short story was published in Imprint’s Vampires Never Get Old: Tales with Fresh Bite by Natalie C. Parker and Zoraida Córdova, a collection of short stories about vampires that was released in September.

It was a highly competitive situation, we hear, with Belletrist Productions winning the rights over 18 other entities.
In First Kill, when it’s time for teenage vampire Juliette to make her first kill so she can take her place among a powerful vampire family, she sets her sights on a new girl in town named Calliope. But much to Juliette’s surprise, Calliope is a vampire hunter, from a family of celebrated slayers. Both find that the other won’t be so easy to kill and, unfortunately, way too easy to fall for.

2020 Netflix Pilots & Series Orders

Roberts and Belletrist co-founder Karah Preiss serve as executive producers.

Under her first-look deal with Hulu, Roberts, via Belletrist, is adapting Carola Lovering’s Tell Me Lies as a television series. Roberts also is attached to star with UK comedian Jack Whitehall in comedy feature Robots, directed by Anthony Hines. She recently wrapped a starring role in Tiffany Paulsen’s upcoming film Holidate, with John Whitesell directing, for Netflix. Roberts is repped by CAA, Sweeney Entertainment and Felker Toczek

Henderson is a consulting producer on Fox series neXt and recently served as consulting producer on Empire. She co-created and executive produced the BET series, The Quad, and spent two years as a co-executive producer on Netflix’s The Punisher. She also developed and executive produced Showtime’s long-running drama series Soul Food.

Henderson’s writing career began in half-hour comedy with stints on Everybody Hates Chris, The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, and Moesha.

Schwab is repped by CAA and Root Literary.

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