‘The Thousand Crimes Of Ming Tsu’ Novel To Get TV Adaptation By Topic Studios & Blue Marble Pictures

EXCLUSIVE: In a competitive situation involving multiple bidders, Topic Studios has acquired the rights to Tom Lin’s debut novel The Thousand Crimes of Ming Tsu, winner of the 2022 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction, for TV series development. Topic Studios will produce alongside Theresa Kang-Lowe via her Blue Marble Pictures.

Praised for its cinematic appeal, The Thousand Crimes of Ming Tsu is the story of Ming, an orphaned son of Chinese immigrants, raised by the notorious leader of a California crime syndicate who trained him to be his deadly enforcer. When Ming falls in love with Ada, the daughter of a powerful railroad magnate, the two elope and seize the opportunity to escape to a different life. But in a violent raid, Ada’s tycoon father’s henchmen kidnap her and conscript Ming into service for the Central Pacific Railroad. Ming escapes and takes off on a journey to avenge all who have wronged him and to rescue his wife. Along the way, he encounters a mystical band of traveling performers – outsiders in their own right – and serves as a Sherpa and bodyguard to ensure their safe passage. Part thriller, part revenge drama, part romance: this is a story of one man’s quest for redemption and meaning, set against a distinct brutality that defines the founding of the American West.

“I’m thrilled to be working with folks of such talent and energy as Blue Marble and Topic Studios, and I can’t wait to see Ming Tsu and his journey brought to life,” added Lin. “To be able to explore and expand the storied American West in this way, putting a Chinese American at its center, is truly a dream come true.”

The project is being shepherded by Topic Studios’ SVP of Original Series, Quan Phung, who brought the project into the company. Maria Zuckerman, Phung and Michael Bloom are executive producing for Topic Studios; along with Kang-Lowe, who also is executive producing the upcoming limited series Pachinko for Apple TV+, and Caroline Garity – both of Blue Marble Pictures. Lin will also serve as executive producer.

“I’m always excited to be part of bringing new perspectives and voices to the forefront, especially the gripping and nuanced writing of someone like Tom Lin,” said Blue Marble Pictures’ Kang-Lowe. “The story of Ming Tsu is one of unrepentant American defiance, and seeing the Western told from an Asian American point of view is a unique and entertaining one.”

Published by Little, Brown and Company in June, the book was just announced as the winner of the 2022 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction. It joins an impressive list of other past winners adapted for television including Colson Whitehead’s The Underground Railroad, which was co-written and directed by Barry Jenkins for Amazon Studios; Viet Thanh Nguyen’s The Sympathizer, to be directed by Park Chan-wook for HBO; Anthony Doerr’s All The Light We Cannot See, to be directed by Shawn Levy for Netflix; as well as novels Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson and The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt, both of which were adapted for film.

“Tom Lin has created a provocative and masterful novel with a thrillingly magnetic hero and a fierce adrenaline kick,” said Maria Zuckerman, President of Topic Studios. “We couldn’t be more excited to be working with Tom and Theresa to bring the character of Ming Tsu to life, and to showcase the full range of his humanity — love, fear, regret, and vengeance — in this wild ride of a series.”

Topic Studios most recently co-produced Nikyatu Jusu’s Nanny, which won the U.S. Dramatic Grand Jury Prize at the recent Sundance Film Festival. The studio also is behind Pablo Larraìn’s Spencer, starring Kristen Stewart as Princess Diana, a role which just earned Stewart her first Oscar nomination for best actress, along with Critics Choice and SAG Award nominations. Topic is also ramping up its scripted television division with the Untitled Martin Lawrence Project, based on the acclaimed Hot-produced Israeli series Nehama; the Untitled Vincent Chin Project set at Amazon, a scripted drama limited series created by Marilyn Fu with Destin Daniel Cretton attached to direct; and two premium dramas stemming from the Studios’ previous first-look deal with Tracy Oliver (Harlem), including the adult thriller Savannah with PKM Productions for Amazon Studios.

Lin is repped by Lisa Queen of Queen Literary Agency, and UTA.