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The college admissions bribery scandal had “Hollywood adaptation” written all over it when the news broke in March, and now a TV series is in the works. Annapurna Television has optioned the rights to Accepted, an upcoming book by Melissa Korn and Jen Levitz, for a limited series with DV Devincentis writing.
The book details the recent college admissions scandal that exposed a criminal conspiracy to influence undergraduate admission decisions at several prominent American universities including USC and UCLA. Such prominent industry figures as Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman have been indicted as part of the bribery scheme. Huffman pleaded guilty to her role in the scandal and wrote an open letter of apology and contrition; Loughlin and her fashion designer husband pleaded not guilty, and the former When Calls the Heart star also is facing a money-laundering charge.
On March 12, the FBI unsealed a wide-ranging indictment in the scheme involving wealthy parents allegedly buying their children’s way into elite universities. The feds say a group of 33 parents combined to pay millions in bribes to coaches at such top schools as Yale Georgetown and Stanford so their children could gain admission as recruited athletes – even if they weren’t actually athletes.
Also among those charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud is Bill McGlashan, the founder and managing partner of TPG Growth, who since has left the board of STX Entertainment and resigned from TPG.
Accepted will be published by Portfolio, a division of Penguin Random House. Sue Naegle, Ali Krug and Patrick Chu will produce on behalf of Annapurna Television.
Devincentis shared an Emmy and PGA Award for writing FX’s The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story, and his screenplay credits include Grosse Pointe Blank and High Fidelity. He is repped by UTA and Barnes Morris Klein & Yorn. Accepted authors Korn and Levitz are reporters who have covered the case for the Wall Street Journal. They are repped by Fletcher & Company and Lichter Grossman Nichols Adler Feldman & Clark.
