Jennifer Probst’s Bestseller ‘The Marriage Bargain’ Getting Adapted by Laura Lekkos at 20th Century Studios
20th Century Studios Acquires Film Rights to Jennifer Probst’s ‘The Marriage Bargain’
20th Century Studios has secured the film rights to The Marriage Bargain, a bestselling romantic comedy novel by Jennifer Probst, published by Entangled Publishing. Laura Lekkos, known for her work on Relationship Goals, has been enlisted to adapt the screenplay.
This project marks a significant milestone for Premeditated Productions, the production arm of Entangled Publishing co-founded by producer Sherryl Clark and CEO Liz Pelletier. This venture is their first outside a first-look agreement with Amazon MGM Studios, which recently received a five-year extension.
The Marriage Bargain is a standout title for Probst, spending 26 weeks on the New York Times Best Sellers list and selling over 2.5 million copies globally. The novel, which has been translated into several languages, was one of the top 10 bestselling books of 2012. The narrative follows a bookstore owner who enters a marriage of convenience with a billionaire to save her family home, only to confront unexpected emotional complexities.
Cayla Tyne will oversee the project for Premeditated, while Sarah Shepard, Senior Vice President of Production, will supervise for 20th Century Studios.
Lekkos has also contributed to Relationship Goals, a romantic comedy featuring Kelly Rowland and Cliff "Method Man" Smith, which debuted on Prime Video on February 4. In addition, she is working on Somewhere Only We Know, based on a novel by Maureen Goo for Netflix, and several other projects, including Daring to Live, inspired by Sheri Hunter’s memoir for Amazon. Her debut novel, All the Little Ways, is set for release in June by Simon and Schuster’s Gallery Books.
Jennifer Probst is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author, with over 50 titles in contemporary romance fiction. Her works have sold over two million copies and have been translated into more than a dozen languages.
With The Marriage Bargain, Premeditated Productions adds to its impressive film development slate, which includes a variety of projects such as the #1 New York Times bestselling fantasy Dragon Cursed, the romantasy Shield of Sparrows, time-travel comedy Repeat After Me, and the thriller Survive, all under the Amazon MGM first-look deal. In addition to these films, they are also adapting several popular book franchises for television, including Fourth Wing and Lux at Amazon MGM Studios and Assistant to the Villain at Legendary.
