Netflix has acquired an erotic thriller spec script “Undying” from writer Ben Ketai, according to an insider with knowledge of the project.
According to Deadline, which first reported the news, the deal was for mid-six against seven figures. Shawn Levy will produce the project via his 21 Laps Banner with Dan Cohen, and Dan Levine.
Moera Ainai is overseeing the project and Ketai will also serve as executive producer.
“Undying” centers on a woman, suffocated by motherhood, who has an affair with a man she hasn’t seen since high school only to discover a terrifying secret.
Before the sale, Ketai had recently written and directed “River Wild,” a modern adaptation of Universal’s 1994 thriller of the same name. Featuring Leighton Meester, Taran Killam, and Adam Brody, the movie enjoyed several weeks in Netflix’s Top 10 after its release on the platform.
Ketai also played multiple roles as the creator, writer, director and showrunner for “StartUp,” a crime drama series that starred Adam Brody, Martin Freeman, Edi Gathegi, and more. The series gained a substantial following on Netflix after originally airing on Crackle for three seasons.
Before the double strike earlier this year, Ketai had successfully sold three pilot scripts. Currently, he is working on an unnamed project related to Mexican basketball for FX and is in the process of adapting the bestselling book “Unthinkable” for Toluca Pictures and MGM.
Ketai is repped by Independent Artist Group.