Motive Pictures Develops Recent Projects with Booker Prize Winner Marlon James & Expands Team | Deadline

Motive Pictures, the production company behind the recent Prime Video hit Young Sherlock, is expanding its slate with two new dramas developed in partnership with Booker Prize-winning author Marlon James. The announcement signals a continued commitment from Motive to building close relationships with writers and bolstering its development pipeline, even amidst a challenging landscape for UK-based drama labels.

The projects represent a reunion for Motive and James, who previously collaborated on the Channel 4 (UK) and HBO (US) limited series Get Millie Black. James, celebrated for his novel A Brief History of Seven Killings which earned him the 2015 Booker Prize, brings a distinctive voice to both new ventures.

A Caribbean Odyssey and a Geopolitical Thriller

One of the projects, currently titled Marauders, is described as a “blood-soaked odyssey” set against the backdrop of the Golden Age of piracy in the Caribbean. Details remain scarce, including which broadcaster will air the series, but the logline suggests a gritty and action-packed take on the historical period. The other project, The School, is pitched as a revenge epic and geopolitical thriller unfolding across the Americas.

“We pride ourselves on keeping very close relationships with the writers that we work with, and continuing to make shows with them, so it’s exciting to have these two new projects in development with Marlon James,” said Simon Maxwell, founder of Motive, in a statement to Deadline.

Motive’s Momentum and Expansion

Motive Pictures has been steadily gaining traction in the competitive television landscape. Beyond Young Sherlock, which has generated significant buzz and fueled hopes for a second season, the company has also produced The Woman In The Wall and One Night. The success of Young Sherlock, a reimagining of the classic Sherlock Holmes stories, underscores a growing appetite for fresh takes on established intellectual property.

To support its expanding workload, Motive has recently added two new development executives to its team. Liam George joins from Complete Fiction Pictures, where he worked on Netflix’s Lockwood & Co and Edgar Wright’s upcoming The Running Man adaptation. Daniel Brown comes from Happy Prince, having served as a script editor on the Disney+ series Rivals, as well as contributing to shows like Sex Education and the long-running medical drama Holby City.

Marlon James: From Booker Prize to Television

Marlon James’s transition from acclaimed novelist to television writer began with Get Millie Black, marking his first foray into the medium. His 2015 Booker Prize win for A Brief History of Seven Killings brought him widespread recognition and solidified his position as a major literary voice. The Booker Prizes website features an extensive interview with James discussing the impact of the award on his career.

Born in Kingston, Jamaica, in 1970, James is also a professor of literature at Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and a faculty lecturer at St. Francis College’s Low Residency MFA in Creative Writing program, according to his Wikipedia page. His novels, including John Crow’s Devil (2005), The Book of Night Women (2009), Black Leopard, Red Wolf (2019), and Moon Witch, Spider King (2022), are known for their complex characters, lyrical prose, and exploration of themes of identity, violence, and history.

What’s Next for Motive and James?

Motive Pictures currently has around 50 projects in development at various stages, according to Maxwell. Beyond the James collaborations, the company is also working on The Trading Game, an adaptation of Gary Stevenson’s autobiography, with ’71 writer Greg Burke adapting the material for television. The timeline for Marauders and The School remains unclear, as both projects are still in the early stages of development and awaiting broadcaster commitments. However, with Motive’s recent successes and James’s growing profile, both projects have the potential to develop into significant additions to the drama landscape.