Thunderbird Entertainment has tapped Jann showrunner Jennica Harper to collaborate with author Cherie Dimaline on a TV adaptation of her bestselling YA novel The Marrow Thieves.

The planned limited series will be produced through the Vancouver-based company’s scripted division. Both Dimaline and Harper will serve as executive producers on the project, along with Alexandra Raffé and Thunderbird executive chair Ivan Fecan. Raffé, the former SVP of scripted production at Thunderbird, announced last month that she was stepping down in order to launch her own prodco, Sheep Crossing.

The novel follows Indigenous teenager Frenchie, who lives in a dystopian future where one of the devastating effects of climate change is that most have lost the ability to dream. North American Indigenous communities, however, can still dream and are hunted by the government for their bone marrow in an effort to find a cure.

In a statement, Dimaline said the adaptation will embody “how the book can positively impact [Indigenous community] perspectives.” The Métis author has been awarded a number of accolades for her work on The Marrow Thieves, including the Governor General’s Award for English-language children’s literature and the Kirkus Prize for Young Readers in 2017. Harper, who is repped by Harrison Artist Management, recently picked up a Canadian Screen Award nomination for her writing on Cardinal.

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