Killing Eve Spinoff For Fan-Favorite Character In The Works
A Killing Eve spin-off series is in the works for BBC America, and this new show will focus on the life of a fan-favorite character.
Spin-offs seem to be the wave of the future in terms of how popular a show is. That is the case for the hit BBC series, Killing Eve. Although the thriller and espionage show is coming to an end on April 10th, it has now been revealed that a spin-off is in the works and it will bring forth the backstory of one of the show’s best characters. The new series will focus on the early life of M16 spymaster Carolyn Mertens. Fans of the show have long spoken about how amazing Fiona Shaw has been, and now she will get more screentime. Well, a younger version of the actress will likely be cast, but she could also appear in the series as well.
The producer of the series, Sid Gentle Films, is currently in the pre-productions stages for the new spin-off. This typically involves casting and brainstorming ideas, and it has not yet been green lit by AMC or BBC America. Word of the series being picked up could come at any moment considering how popular Killing Eve has been up to this point. Carolyn Mertens is one of the central figures in the original show, as she appears in all four seasons of the espionage drama. While she is currently the head of M16’s Russian desk, the new series will follow her life in the British Secret Service. Fiona Shaw clearly plays a great character, but the spin-off will focus on her earlier life, so the new show might not involve her as much. That is unless she narrates, or the series does a flashback type of structure.
Killing Eve has been one of the most popular series on BBC America, as the first two seasons broke viewership records, with the show winning the British Academy Television Award for Best Drama Series. The stars of the series, Karen Oh and Jodie Comer have both won Best Actress awards for their performances, and Fiona Shaw won Best Supporting Actress as well. The series is based on a novel by the name of Villanelle, by Luke Jennings. The show also experimented with having a different female writer for every season, which clearly worked out. Phoebe Waller-Bridge handled season one, Emerald Fennell did season two, Suzanne Heathcote wrote season three, and Laura Neal is handling the fourth and final season. Neal will likely be taking on the role of writing for the Carolyn Mertens spin-off, as she hinted at the expansion in a recent interview.
Killing Eve will end soon, but the universe will be further explored with this spin-off, and it has been rumored that more is coming. AMC Networks President of Original Programming, Dan McDermott, alluded to “potential extensions of this compelling universe.” The thing of note to this comment is that it states expansions, so it could mean that the Carolyn Mertens spin-off series will not be the only one born from the original series. They could be going the Yellowstone route, which has already birthed two spin-off shows. The Walking Dead also has several working spin-offs as well. However, Killing Eve might be more popular than the latter.
