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Summary

  • Ninth House is author Leigh Bardugo's transition to adult literature, with a captivating story set at Yale University involving secret societies and a protagonist with a troubled past as an addict.
  • The Prime Video adaptation of Ninth House has generated interest due to the critical acclaim of the book, and while details are scarce, Bardugo's involvement in the writing and production process is promising.
  • The Ninth House TV show is confirmed, with a pilot already filmed.

Ninth House is author Leigh Bardugo's venture into the world of adult literature after her hugely successful YA Shadow and Bone novels. The story of Galaxy "Alex" Stern is also receiving a TV show adaptation — although this time with Prime Video. Set at Yale University, Ninth House finds the central character, Alex, at 20 years old and the only survivor of an incredibly violent homicide. What follows is a story with many twists, turns, and intrigue in abundance as Alex is recruited on her hospital bed to spy on the many secret societies hiding at Yale.

Much like her Grishaverse novels, Leigh Bardugo's Ninth House received no shortage of critical acclaim, becoming a #1 New York Times bestseller upon its release in 2019. While few details about the Prime Video adaptation of Ninth House have been revealed, the premise and source material alone have generated interest. Though there's no Ninth House release date in the near future, there have been several developments and teases as production on the show makes way.

Latest Ninth House TV Show News

Leigh Bardugo Provides An Update

Author Leigh Bardugo is teaming up with Prime Video to bring a Ninth House adaptation to screens.

Though news has been scant regarding the adaptation, the latest update came in February 2023 when Leigh Bardugo spoke to Collider and gave some insight into what's been happening at Prime Video. She explained "All I can tell you is the wheels of Hollywood turn very slowly. And I can't even talk about who I've been working on the project with. But I can tell you that we have a pilot that I absolutely love and that it has been a complete delight to work on."

As well as revealing that a pilot episode for Ninth House exists, Bardugo also compared the different experiences working with Prime Video compared to Netflix. "Unlike with Shadow and Bone, I actually got to get in there and work on the writing, break the story, deal with notes in a much more hands-on way. And I loved it." Bordugo explained, "And I also feel like it made me twice as excited to write Hell Bent, because it made me think of the story in different ways. And that, I think, is a pleasure"

Hell Bent is a sequel to Ninth House which was published in January 2023.

The Ninth House TV Show Is Confirmed

The Adaptation Is On The Way

Shadow and Bone and Ninth House

Prime Video's adaptation of Ninth House was announced in October 2019, the same year the original novel was released (via Netflix Shadow and Bone adaptations) it's unsurprising that Amazon was keen to pick up the rights to develop the Ninth House TV show, although it has now been several years since it was initially announced. No names are attached to the project in front of or behind the camera, save for Leigh Bardugo herself who has helped in the writing process.

Ninth House Story

What's The Prime Video Leigh Bardugo Adaptation About?

Fanart of Mercy from Ninth House
Art by Alice Duke

The Prime Video adaptation of Ninth House is expected to more-or-less follow the story of the Leigh Bardugo novel, especially since she's serving as a writer and executive producer. Ninth House follows Galaxy "Alex" Stern who, after surviving a homicide, is offered a chance at a second lease of life at Yale. However, there's a catch. Alex's mysterious benefactor wants her to infiltrate a secret society hidden within the prestigious institution. As for why Alex was chosen, it quickly becomes apparent her ability to see ghosts is a key factor.

Alex finds there are eight Houses of the Veil, and that she must monitor these secret orders as a member of the titular Ninth House, Lethe. While this alone would be an intriguing premise, the Ninth House story has many supernatural twists. Ninth House is a dark fantasy and explores deep themes like trauma while also telling a fantastical story of mystical secret societies. How the Ninth House TV show will build on or alter the specifics of the story remains to be seen.