Penn Badgley is set to star in Amazon MGM Studios’ dark comedy murder mystery series Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone, based on Benjamin Stevenson’s bestselling novel. David Hemingson serves as showrunner and executive producer on the project, which lands at Prime Video following a prior development stint at HBO.
- The Talent: Penn Badgley anchors the Prime Video series following his run on Netflix’s You, with Oscar-nominee David Hemingson (The Holdovers) running the writers’ room.
- The Source Material: Adapted from Benjamin Stevenson’s 2022 novel, the story launches the Ernest Cunningham mystery franchise into television production.
- The Studio Engine: Fifth Season and Made Up Stories produce the series, continuing a multi-platform collaboration spanning several major streamers.
Unpacking the Vermont Snowstorm and the Cunningham Family Curse
Amazon MGM Studios has officially given a series order to Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone. Set deep in the dense mountains of Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom, the narrative follows Ern Cunningham. Ern is a mystery-writing expert who reluctantly attends a family reunion to welcome his brother Michael home from prison—the very same brother Ern helped convict.
Things quickly go sideways when a frozen body appears and a vicious snowstorm traps the entire family indoors. The catch? Everyone in Ern’s family has already killed someone, whether by accident or design. As the body count rises, Ern has to use his genre expertise to figure out which of his murderous relatives is striking again.
Here is the kicker. Badgley is returning to Amazon after wrapping a starring role opposite Meghann Fahy in the forthcoming rom-com You Deserve Each Other. That project also hails from Fifth Season, alongside Likely Story. Badgley is otherwise best known for starring as serial killer Joe Goldberg in Netflix’s hit thriller series You, which originated at Lifetime, and for starring in The CW’s Gossip Girl.
Behind the Creative Force: Hemingson, Stevenson, and the Production Heavyweights
The adaptation brings together a formidable creative roster. David Hemingson serves as showrunner and executive producer. Hemingson earned an Oscar nomination for his script for The Holdovers, the holiday dramedy directed by Alexander Payne for Focus Features. His television background includes creating the ABC series Whiskey Cavalier and working on The Catch, Don’t Trust the B—– in Apartment 23, and Kitchen Confidential.
Benjamin Stevenson’s original novel was published by Mariner Books in 2022. It marks the first installment in his internationally bestselling series featuring Ernest Cunningham, with the fifth installment currently in the works. Stevenson’s books have sold over a million copies across 29 territories, and the latest entry, Everyone in This Bank Is a Thief, hit shelves in March.
“I am blown away by the vision and enthusiasm everyone has for bringing this book, and Ernest Cunningham, to the screen,” Stevenson shared in a statement regarding the series order. “Penn perfectly captures Ern’s clueyness and cleverness, and David has brought bags of wit and heart to the script. With the passion of Amazon MGM Studios, Bruna and Steve behind us we have an absolutely killer team, and I can’t wait to solve a murder with them!”
Streaming Strategy and Studio Synergy at Prime Video
Peter Friedlander, Amazon MGM’s Head of Global Television, emphasized the project’s unique positioning within the current media landscape. “Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone is a brilliantly inventive series that subverts the murder mystery genre in the most unexpected and entertaining ways,” Friedlander noted in a statement. “Ben created a world that is darkly funny and wickedly clever. Paired with David’s sharp storytelling and Penn’s magnetic presence, and with our incredible partners at Fifth Season and Made Up Stories, this series is going to be something truly special for Prime Video.”
| Project Element | Key Talent / Detail | Production Backing |
|---|---|---|
| Source Material | Benjamin Stevenson’s novel (Mariner Books, 2022) | Ernest Cunningham Mysteries Series |
| Showrunner | David Hemingson (The Holdovers, Whiskey Cavalier) | Executive Producer |
| Lead Star | Penn Badgley (You, Gossip Girl) | Executive Producer |
| Studio Partners | Fifth Season & Made Up Stories | Amazon MGM Studios |
The journey to screen has been deliberate. The project initially got off the ground at Amazon MGM after an attempt at series development of the book at HBO. Now housed securely at Prime Video, the series benefits from a powerhouse producing team. Hemingson executive produces alongside Bruna Papandrea, Steve Hutensky, and Jeanne Snow of Made Up Stories, as well as Molly Allen, Badgley, and Stevenson.
Fifth Season and Made Up Stories are producing and will together serve as the studio. The two entities reteam following a series of high-profile collaborations across the streaming ecosystem. Their joint efforts include The Good Daughter and Wolf Like Me for Peacock, Roar for Apple TV+, Nine Perfect Strangers for Hulu, Pieces of Her and Anatomy of a Scandal for Netflix, The Last Anniversary for AMC, and The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart for Prime Video.
Where do you stand on meta-murder mysteries? Drop a comment below and let’s debate.
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