An adaptation of the fantasy novel Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie, which would have starred Rebecca Ferguson and been helmed by Deadpool director Tim Miller for Paramount Skydance, has been cancelled, according to Screen Rant.
Published in 2009 as part of Abercrombie’s First Law series, Best Served Cold follows Monza Murcatto, a mercenary who is employed by the Grand Duke Orso, only to be betrayed and left for dead when he views her growing power as a threat to his own. Enraged, Monza sets out on a bloody path of revenge that could lead to the destabilization of multiple city-states in the realm.
A film adaptation was first announced in 2023 with Ferguson and Miller coming on board. However, development stalled during the Writers’ Guild and Screen Actors Guild strikes of that year, and there have been no further updates since then.
Now, Miller hinted in a recent interview that the project has been cancelled, saying:
I’ve had a lot of movies almost go recently, and then for one reason or another doesn’t go. Best Served Cold, the Joe Abercrombie book. That was at Skydance with Rebecca Ferguson, who was perfect for the character. And… it just didn’t happen.
Miller has not lost interest in pursuing the series, however, referencing it as
The books I’m hopefully, one day, adapting.
In addition, he also maintains a strong working relationship with Abercrombie. Abercrombie, who was to write the screenplay if the project had moved forward, praised Miller on his website soon after the adaptation was announced:
Tim and I have been working together on bringing the First Law to the screen in one form or another (among other things) for over a decade, and believe me when I say there is no bigger fan of, or bigger champion for, these books.
While not part of the First Law series, an adaptation of another fantasy novel by the author, The Devils, is currently being pursued by James Cameron.
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