Jana Monroe’s ‘Hearts Of Darkness’ Series Adaptation In Works At Universal Television

Denise Petski

6 May 2024 at 3:47 pm·2-min read

EXCLUSIVE: In a competitive situation, Universal Television has acquired the rights to Jana Monroe’s memoir Hearts of Darkness: Serial Killers, The Behavioral Science Unit, And My Life As a Woman In The FBI to develop into a series. Winner filmmaker Susanna Fogel and Julia Ruchman (The Walking Dead) will both write and executive produce, with Fogel serving as director. Monroe and Rain Productions will also executive produce.

Hearts of Darkness follows Monroe, who steps out from the shadows to tell the story of her astonishing life in shaping law enforcement and intelligence analysis. Monroe explores the cases that have stayed with her, breaking down victimology, offering new insight into the minds of serial killers, and discussing the psychological toll of the job and the obstacles she faced as a woman in the male-dominated Bureau.

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“I’m excited to be working with UTV, Susanna, and Julia as they bring to life the stories I’ve lived,” says Monroe. “Embarking on this adventure with UTV is like watching my life stories unfold on the screen in an exhilarating fusion of reality and imagination!”

Monroe and Rain Productions packaged the project and represented the rights sale. USG’s Creative Acquisitions and IP Management team, led by Jordan Moblo, was instrumental in securing the rights to the novel.

“Jana Monroe kicks butt and takes names, all while defying expectations of what an FBI agent should be,” says Vivian Cannon, EVP of Drama Development at UTV. “Her life story is an incredible thrill ride packed with action, excitement, and rich, complicated characters whom we have never seen before on TV. Susanna and Julia are the ideal team to adapt Jana’s memoir and bring her unbelievable true story to life!”

Monroe was the inspiration behind Jodie Foster’s Oscar-winning role as Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs. Throughout her career, she has consulted on more than 850 homicide cases, including serial killers Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, and Ed Kemper and was the first and, at the time, only female agent in the FBI’s Behavioral Sciences Unit at Quantico. She later became the first assistant director of the FBI’s Cyber Division. She is repped by Rain and John Gatti at Loeb and Loeb.

“Susanna and Julia’s passion for the material in concert with their comprehensive and compelling take on how to tell these stories made them the perfect choice for the project, said Rain Productions’ Mike Vanderhei. “We are thrilled to have such an incredible team to build out this series.”

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