‘The Lego Batman Movie’ Director Chris McKay to Adapt Brynne Weaver’s Bestseller ‘Butcher & Blackbird’
“The Tomorrow War” and “The Lego Batman Movie” filmmaker Chris McKay has been tapped to direct an adaptation of Brynne Weaver’s bestselling serial killer romance, “Butcher & Blackbird,” for Lyrical Media and Ryder Picture Company (RPC).
The novel is the first installment of Weaver’s popular “Ruinous Love” trilogy, which was released in October. It became a New York Times, USA Today and Publisher’s Weekly bestseller and was a favorite on BookTok, TikTok’s hub for book lovers. Weaver recently signed a seven-figure deal for her upcoming dark rom-com trilogy. She has sold over 1 million copies of her books in over 18 countries.
Lyrical Media’s Alexander Black and RPC’s Aaron Ryder and Andrew Swett will produce the film, with RPC’s Emma Rappold serving as co-producer. Lyrical Media’s Jon Rosenberg and Natalie Sellers will executive produce alongside Weaver. The film does not have a screenwriter attached.
According to the official description: “‘Butcher and Blackbird’ follows two competing killers who target other serial killers as they attempt to one up each other. As their unlikely bond grows into something deeper, they start to wonder if a future together could ever be possible.”
McKay has worked across the “Lego” film series, including “The Lego Batman Movie,” on which he served as director. Most recently, McKay directed Chris Pratt in the sci-fi action film “The Tomorrow War” for Skydance, Paramount and Amazon, as well as Nicolas Cage and Nicholas Hoult in the vampire comedy “Renfield” for Universal.
Lyrical Media and RPC recently inked a first-look deal following their collaborations on the upcoming films “Onslaught” from Adam Wingard and “The Death of Robin Hood” from Michael Sarnoski, starring Hugh Jackman and Jodie Comer, both of which will be distributed by A24. The two companies also produced “Bruiser,” a coming-of-age drama directed by Miles Warren and starring Jayln Hall, Trevante Rhodes and Shamier Anderson, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and was later released on Hulu in February 2023 to critical acclaim.
Lyrical Media’s “Elevation” from filmmaker George Nolfi, which stars Anthony Mackie and Morena Baccarin, recently sold to Vertical Entertainment. Its debut film, the climate crisis story “How to Blow Up a Pipeline,” premiered at TIFF in 2022 and was distributed by Neon in the U.S. The company most recently unveiled the psychological thriller, “Mother, Couch!” starring Ewan McGregor, Rhys Ifans and Taylor Russell, at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Aaron Ryder launched RPC in January 2021 to develop and produce both specialized and studio films. Andrew Swett joined Ryder as a partner in the company in October 2021 and has since produced Craig Gillespie’s “Dumb Money,” featuring a cast that included Paul Dano, Shailene Woodley, Seth Rogen and America Ferrera. Up next for RPC is “At the Sea,” starring Oscar-nominee Amy Adams and directed by Kornel Mundruczo, which is set to begin production later this month.
Weaver is represented by The Whalen Agency and UTA. McKay is represented by UTA and Rise Management.