A24 Acquires Dylan Brady’s Erotic Thriller With Nicole Kidman Potentially Starring
Dylan Brady’s latest project, an untitled erotic thriller, is making waves in Hollywood. Originally titled Discretion, the project is undergoing a name change to avoid confusion with a legal thriller series of the same name featuring Nicole Kidman and Elle Fanning, currently in development at A24 for Paramount+.
The new drama revolves around a struggling actor who takes a nannying job with a successful producer and her movie-star husband. The actor’s plan to seduce his employers and leverage their industry connections unexpectedly leads him into a perilous situation.
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By late 2025, Brady secured representation with United Talent Agency (UTA) after being identified by rising TV lit agent Yasmine Fade and coordinator Bella Kaplan. He is now under the guidance of UTA’s co-head of TV Lit, Dan Erlij, who previously orchestrated a notable bidding war for Joshua Zetumer’s supernatural drama, Pagans, which was ultimately ordered straight-to-series by Netflix following a competition involving 15-18 studios and platforms.
Brady’s Discretion similarly ignited a bidding frenzy when it was circulated last month, drawing nine offers from major players such as Netflix, Amazon, Apple, and FX, among others. The sudden interest in Brady, a previously unknown writer, resulted in 27 meetings with producers and networks eager to discuss his vision for the series.
Brady traveled from the UK for these meetings, arriving on Friday night to present his ideas for the series. However, A24 preemptively removed the project from the market after just 24 hours, securing it with a substantial seven-figure offer before Brady could finalize discussions with Netflix and Amazon. Initial talks for lead roles with actors including Kidman quickly commenced.
A24 has adopted a similar approach previously, winning a seven-way bidding war last year for Trigger Point, a spec script by Harrison Query. A24 developed that project internally and brought on Joel Edgerton to star, leading to another bidding war that concluded with a Netflix straight-to-series order.
In addition, A24 acquired the rights to Chandler Baker’s forthcoming short story Discretion in a competitive environment, with a purchase price reaching seven figures plus additional fees for script development. The project was also developed with Kidman and Elle Fanning attached, and ultimately led to a bidding war that resulted in a straight-to-series commitment from Paramount+.
“The genre of erotic thrillers has historically favored heterosexual narratives, often portraying the marital unit as the heroic focal point. I wanted to flip this on its head,” Brady said. “What happens if the seductive character is reimagined as a hero and the marriage itself is called into question? I aimed to infuse a queer perspective in this narrative.”
The project is not only undergoing a title change but is also expected to see creative modifications as development progresses.
In his previous work as an actor, Brady appeared in series such as The Diplomat, Andor, Tell Me Everything, and Coronation Street. His writing credentials include a produced episode of the British YA series Everything Now, which aired on Netflix in 2023. He is currently developing a self-funded short film, Anon, filmed entirely on dash cam in his home city of Derby, and is also working on an adaptation of Charlotte Vassell’s novel The Other Half for the BBC in collaboration with Kudos. Mentored by director Andrew Haigh through the BFI Flare x BAFTA Cohort scheme, Brady is represented in the UK by Charlotte Knight of Knight Hall Agency.
The erotic thriller genre is experiencing a resurgence, with at least ten TV and film projects currently in development. Brady’s untitled project joins a slate that includes Hancock Park at Netflix and Fifth Season’s Teach Me, featuring Mandy Moore, as well as two additional projects at Fifth Season: Night Float starring Nina Dobrev and Dangerous Liaisons.
