IP Picks🔎: The Deadliest Crash in Formula 1 History
âž• A thriller with 'Gone Girl' vibes and a famous college football scandal
Welcome to The Optionist. We’re coming to you a little early this week because we know that you want to kick back for a long weekend of turkey, family and football. Happy Thanksgiving!
Despite the rush to get out ahead of our usual schedule, this was an especially fun issue for me. Now that The Optionist has been around for a few years, my new picks often remind me of earlier ones I’ve shared with you. I get a kick out of circling back to my earlier recommendations and connecting the dots between then and now — as I do this week. Why now? Well, for starters, I was particularly eager to highlight an older pick that was a personal favorite of mine. Although I understand why the option on it has freed up again (after having lapsed more than once), I’m thrilled to tout it a second time because I’m that convinced it would make a great movie.
Another pick I’m excited about this week is a bit of a curveball because it doesn’t involve a new piece of IP. I keep a running list of stuff that I think would make a great movie or TV show just in case the right underlying IP comes along. This happened a couple of weeks ago when I was reminded of a juicy scandal that would make a fantastic movie or limited series. I dig into it below, along with a few thoughts on how to bring it to screen.
On to this week's picks, which include two entertaining novels in addition to the picks I’ve already teased above.
The full lineup:
A thriller with Gone Girl vibes
A journalism procedural centered on corruption in college sports
A locked room-style mystery centered on six famous writers trapped on a private island
A drama about motor racing’s deadliest day, plus a related pick from the archive!
