Variety has learned from sources that Amazon Prime Video has decided to develop the thriller series “The Second Lady” amid the competitive situation.
The show is based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Irving Wallace. Jessica Scherzer will also serve as executive producer of the film adaptation of the book. Outer Banks Entertainment’s Kevin Williamson and Ben Fast will also executive produce alongside Peter J. Donaldson. David Walechinski will serve as co-executive producer. The studio is Universal Television.
Scherzer has a mini-first-look deal with UTV, while Williamson and Outer Banks have overall deals with the studio. Donaldson represents the literary legacy of Irving Wallace, and Walechinski is Wallace’s son and executor of the estate.
The show’s logline reads, “When America’s beloved first lady is kidnapped and replaced by a Russian shadowy, two women must fight for survival, one in captivity in Siberia, and the other infiltrating the White House to sabotage NATO during the G7 summit.”
This will be the first project sold to the platform via the UTV mini first-look deal since the studio launched the contract model in 2025. These agreements are characterized by their short duration and cost efficiency, focusing only on the development of a set number of projects before the writer and studio sign a larger deal.
Scherzer is known for works such as “Nerve,” “A Simple Favor” and the sequel “Another Simple Favor.” In television, he has written for shows such as “Nine Perfect Strangers,” “Amazing Stories,” and “American Horror Story.”
Williamson is best known as the creator of the hit Scream horror series. He wrote the scripts for the first, second and fourth films, and most recently directed the seventh. “Scream 7” ultimately grossed more than $200 million worldwide. He is also the creator of the seminal teen drama series “Dawson’s Creek” and co-creator of the hit YA series “The Vampire Diaries.” The former series aired for 6 seasons, the latter for 8 seasons, and “The Vampire Diaries” also spawned two spin-offs. Williamson’s other feature credits include “I Know What You Did Last Summer” and “The Faculty,” and other television credits include the Netflix series “The Waterfront.”
Scherzer is repped by UTA, Northstar and Richter Grossman. Williamson is repped by CAA and Felker Toczek. Donaldson and Waleczynski are represented by the Adam W. Rosen Law Offices.
