Hillbilly TV reels in Rapture

UK-based producer Hillbilly Television has acquired TV drama rights to a novel about a real-life cult from journalist and author Claire McGlasson.

The Rapture, McGlasson’s debut novel, is set in the UK town of Bedford in the 1920s and is “a story of madness and friendship, repressed emotions and acts of true devotion.”

It is due to be published in June 2019 by Faber and Faber.

Hillbilly’s co-founder Kate Norrish said: “We seek out projects that offer up something different – a fresh perspective, characters we’ve not seen before, stories that offer a sideways glance at the world. The Rapture offers all of this and more.”

McGlasson added: “Hillbilly feels like the perfect fit for a story about femininity and power. Kate and Polly have an incredible vision for my novel and are passionate about championing women in their industry.”

Hillbilly was co-founded by Norrish and Polly Leys, whose credits include The Full Monty and Second Coming.

The prodco is behind shows including thriller The Level for ITV in the UK and comedy drama Loaded, coproduced by Keshet UK for Channel 4 and AMC. The latter was recently acquired by Netflix.