A24 Turns the Novel ‘White Smoke’ into a TV Series featuring Benedict Cumberbatch as Star and Producer
A24 UK Secures Rights to Nick Brucker’s Upcoming Novel ‘White Smoke’ for TV Adaptation
A24 UK has emerged as the frontrunner to secure the rights for Nick Brucker’s forthcoming novel, White Smoke, aiming to transform the literary work into a television series. The production will be a collaboration with Oscar nominee Benedict Cumberbatch and his company, SunnyMarch, with Cumberbatch also slated to star in the adaptation.
Set to release in 2027, White Smoke is a heist novel that follows a group of cunning con men and thieves as they attempt to steal the Vatican’s significant treasures during a papal conclave. Despite the book not being available until next year, industry insiders report that interest in the project has been robust, with multiple parties vying for both film and TV adaptation rights. Given that White Smoke is the first installment in a planned series, the authors opted for the television route, ultimately finding A24 and SunnyMarch’s offer too compelling to decline.
Brucker operates under the pseudonym Nicholas Binge, known for his speculative fiction. His latest work, Dissolution, garnered acclaim as one of the best books of 2025 according to the New York Times, and is currently in line for a film adaptation at Sony Pictures with screenplay duties handled by Eric Heisserer, alongside co-producers Chronology and Temple Hill. To date, White Smoke has achieved sales in 23 international markets.
This project marks a notable return to television for Cumberbatch, following his recent appearance in the Netflix limited series Eric, released last spring. SunnyMarch has a track record of successful productions, including the Emmy-nominated and BAFTA-winning limited series Patrick Melrose, which featured Cumberbatch, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Hugo Weaving, as well as an adaptation of Ian McEwan’s Child In Time for BBC One.
Cumberbatch’s filmography includes notable works like Mahalia Belo’s The End We Start From, The Mauritanian, The Electrical Life of Louis Wain, and The Courier. Each of these projects has received recognition for its storytelling and performances.
The deal for White Smoke was negotiated by UTA on behalf of Binge and the filmmakers. Cumberbatch is represented by UTA, Conway van Gelder Grant, and Sloane Offer Weber Dern, while Binge works with UTA and Alexander Cochran at Greyhound Literary.
