Welcome to IP Surveillance, your weekly guide to the hottest available intellectual property for film and television. This week, we're tracking a bombshell new true-crime podcast with the first-ever interview from a fugitive who hid for 32 years, the surprisingly available rights to one of the biggest video games in the world, and a slate of haunting historical mysteries gaining traction online.

This report covers:

  • Deals of the Week: Netflix doubles down on Emily Henry, Gal Gadot finds her next franchise.
  • Books Just Released: A wave of high-concept thrillers hits shelves, led by Alice Feeney and Jennette McCurdy.
  • Books Announced: A Black Final Girl horror, a Ukrainian cybercriminal, a Gilded Age disaster, a fae-infested Sherwood Forest, and more.
  • Long-Form Journalism: A Supreme Court lawyer's double life (NYT Magazine), a Caribbean narcotrafficking scandal (The Guardian), a $15B luxury heist (1843), and the first American Pope (The New Yorker).
  • Podcasts: Sony drops a binge-able true-crime series about fugitive Margo Freshwater.
  • Unscripted/True Crime: Reddit obsesses over a mother who vanished in 1946, a Gilded Age heiress, and a Christmas Day family annihilator.
  • Alternative IP: Why BAFTA-winner Baldur's Gate III is still on the table.
  • Brazen Spotlight: A 1970s Christmas noir about an accountant who said no to the mob.
  • Trend Watch: The rise of the anti-franchise.

If something here sparks (or doesn't), reply and let us know. We read everything. If you were forwarded this, it's nice to meet you – get in touch or subscribe if you want to learn more.