Sony Wins Rights To Freida McFadden’s ‘The Surrogate Mother’ With Anna Klassen Adapting
Sony Pictures has landed the film adaptation rights to Freida McFadden’s psychological thriller, The Surrogate Mother, Deadline can confirm.
Journalist-turned-screenwriter Anna Klassen (The Last Sunrise) will pen the screenplay with Marc Evans (The Gorge, The Old Guard) producing.
Centered on Abby, a woman who has struggled with infertility treatments and failed adoptions for years, the story presents motherhood as just out of reach for the main character, until her personal assistant Monica makes her a very generous offer that could turn this dream into reality.
The Surrogate Mother was self-published by McFadden Oct. 10, 2018 and re-released in paperback by Sourcebooks’ Poisoned Pen press on Aug. 19, 2025. The novel has climbed various bestseller lists once more in recent months, debuting at #1 on The New York Times best sellers list, #1 on the UK’s Sunday Times list and #1 on Canada’s Globe and Mail.
McFadden is known for her thriller books like The Housemaid, which was the first of her books to be adapted into a film starring Sydney Sweeney in the titular role, Amanda Seyfried and Brandon Sklenar. Directed by Paul Feig, The Housemaid movie is now in theaters.
McFadden’s The Tenant is in the works for a film adaptation with Amazon MGM Studios’ United Artists and Scott Stuber, and her book The Teacher will be adapted by Spenser Cohen and Anna Halberg for Apple Original films. Amazon MGM Studios is also developing a TV adaptation of Freida McFadden’s novel Dear Debbie with Gina Girolamo attached as executive producer.
Evans is repped by UTA and Greenberg Glusker. The Hollywood Reporter first broke this news.
