As reported by Variety, Paramount TV is developing an adaptation of Susan Orlean’s The Library Book, which is about the true s tory of a massive fire inside the Los Angeles Public Library in 1986 that destroyed or damaged a million books over the course of seven hours. Orlean’s book centers on the mystery of how the fire started, tying it in with Orlean’s own lifelong love of books and libraries. In a statement, Paramount TV president Nicole Clemens said that the book is a “captivating narrative that is part mystery, part magic, and part love letter to the dedicated stewards who fight to keep these beloved institutions alive.” Naturally, then, the best way to honor a love letter to books and the occasionally burning buildings that contain them, The Library Book is becoming a television show now.
Orlean will write the adaptation and work as an executive producer, with James Ponsoldt (Master Of None, The Spectacular Now) directing the pilot.