28 March 2024 – Netflix has announced The Seven Dials Mystery penned by Broadchurch creator Chris Chibnall (Broadchurch, Doctor Who) executive produced by The Crown executive producer Suzanne Mackie of Orchid Pictures and Chris Sussman (Good Omens). Chris Sweeney (The Tourist, Back to Life) will direct.

Suzanne Mackie said “I am excited to be bringing The Seven Dials Mystery to life, and to be introducing a new generation of iconic Christie characters to the screen. It has been a joy to work with Chris Chibnall in creating this bold, authored and ambitious vision for the series. Together with Chris Sussman and Agatha Christie Limited and, under the masterful direction of Chris Sweeney, we are thrilled to embark on this creative journey. I could not think of a more exciting first project for Orchid Pictures, or a more perfect home for this story than Netflix.”

Orchid Pictures was founded in 2020 by Suzanne Mackie (executive producer on The Crown) with the goal of bringing stories from both up-and-coming and award winning writers to the world’s stage. Suzanne has since assembled a strong female team to develop a rich slate of diverse content, including Hannah Campbell and Sophie Loizou (The Crown).

Anne Mensah, Netflix said “Agatha Christie’s storytelling has been thrilling mystery lovers for generations but there is still more for us to explore for audiences at Netflix.”

James Prichard of Agatha Christie Limited added “Bundle Brent is one of my great grandmother’s raft of interesting humorous sharp young female characters. To see her brought to life through the words of Chris Chibnall and this production with Orchid Pictures and Netflix is a dream come true. I think viewers will love this world that we have created, and hope for more.”

The Seven Dials Mystery is the first series to go into production with Orchid Pictures and will begin filming this summer.

Chris Chibnall will executive produce the show through his company Imaginary Friends and James Prichard of Agatha Christie Limited is also an executive producer on the series.

About Suzanne Mackie and Orchid Pictures

Suzanne is the Executive Producer on Emmy and Golden Globe winning The Crown for Netflix. Having recently completed all six seasons, Suzanne has been a key member of The Crown team since the beginning, working closely with the show’s creator and showrunner, Peter Morgan.

Suzanne was Creative Director at Left Bank Pictures where she worked for 12 years. During this time she developed and executive produced four series of the BAFTA nominated Mad Dogs which went on to be adapted for the US market. She executive produced BBC1’s BAFTA winning The Replacement and was executive producer on 6-parter Behind Her Eyes for Netflix. Suzanne recently produced feature film Misbehaviour for Pathe, directed by Philippa Lowthorpe, starring Keira Knightly, Jessie Buckley and Gugu Mbatha-Raw.

Before joining Left Bank, Suzanne was Development Executive at Harbour Pictures. After securing a first-look deal at Buena Vista International, Suzanne originated and produced her first feature film, the award winning Calendar Girls in 2003 and produced Kinky Boots for Miramax in 2006. Both films’ global success was augmented by their celebrated adaptations as Broadway and West End shows which have now been staged across the world.

In 2020, Suzanne founded Orchid Pictures under a deal with Netflix and is excited to be moving Orchid’s first generation of projects into production.

About Imaginary Friends

Founded by Chris Chibnall, Imaginary Friends is an independent production company building a diverse slate of ambitious, writer-centred original projects. Imaginary Friends was the originating producer on Broadchurch and its international remakes. They develop and produce writer-centred original projects from Chris and other writers, as well as running the Next Generation Showrunners Programme, aimed at developing the next wave of premium British showrunning talent.

About Chris Chibnall

Chris is a multi award-winning writer, producer, playwright and novelist. He created and executive produced three seasons of the BAFTA and Peabody award winning Broadchurch, which was remade in the US, France and China, and was the showrunner of Doctor Who between 2017 and 2022, casting Jodie Whittaker as the first female Doctor. Other TV credits include The Great Train Robbery, United, Law & Order: UK and Life On Mars. His debut novel Death At The White Hart is due to be published by Penguin Michael Joseph in 2025.

About Agatha Christie Limited

Agatha Christie Limited (ACL) has been managing the literary and media rights to Agatha Christie’s works around the world since 1955. Collaborating with the very best talents in film, television, publishing, stage and on digital platforms, ACL ensures that Christie’s work continues to reach new audiences in innovative ways and to the highest standard. The company is managed by Christie’s great grandson James Prichard.