If you’re excited for the A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder adaptation, you’re not alone – and here is what you need to know about this to get excited.
We live in a world that is dominated by adaptations from famous books. But you want to know what’s starting to get their adaptations now? BookTok books. There are plenty of adaptations already in the works, such as It Ends With Us starring Blake Lively, or even John Green’s adaptation of Turtles All The Way Down. And today, we’re talking about A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder.
The book, written by Holly Jackson, was published in 2019 and ended up getting hugely popular over the last few years through social media, and additional books in the series have come out. Now, we’re going to be taking a deeper dive into the adaptation, and see exactly what we know so far about the upcoming TV series A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder.
What Is The Good Girl's Guide To Murder Premiere Date?
At the time of updating this in February 2024, there is no set premiere date for A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder. The adaptation was announced in September 2022, according to Deadline, but we haven’t gotten a release date just yet.
However, I have a feeling that we’ll at least be getting more updates as time goes on, and hopefully soon, we’ll be able to add this upcoming adaptation to our book-to-screen list for us to enjoy. Maybe we’ll be able to add this to our 2024 TV schedule if all goes well.
Emma Myers, Zain Iqbal And More Will Star
Thankfully, there is plenty of casting news out there for A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder. Let’s get into what we know:
Emma Myers as Pip
Emma Myers will be playing Pip, the main character of the book, according to a press release from BBC Three.
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This is exceptionally good news, as this isn’t the first time we’ve seen Emma Myers kill it in a role before. In 2022, she was a part of the Wednesday cast, where she played Enid, Wednesday’s colorful and quirky roommate who also happened to be a part of a long line of werewolves. However, she wasn't able to get herself to wolf up.
Enid ended up being an extremely popular character on the series, so much so that people began to ship both her and Wednesday Addams (which honestly, I am so here for), and the role shot Emma Myers up to stardom. Now, she’s taking on her next big role – besides possibly showing up in Wednesday Season 2, if all goes well.
Zain Iqbal as Ravi
Zain Iqbal will play Ravi, the other main character of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, according to that press release from BBC. Zain Iqbal is a newcomer to the world of show business, so this would be his first major starring role. However, I’m sure that after getting the chance to stand alongside Myers, these two will truly rock their parts. Many fans online call this the “perfect casting” for the characters, so I can’t wait to see what they do with it.
Asha Banks as Cara
According to the author’s Instagram, she announced several new cast members that rounded out A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder cast in July 2023. These include Asha Banks, Yali Topol Margalith, Jude Morgan-Collie, and Raiko Gohara.
First, we’ll talk about Asha Banks, who will play Cara. The young actress is primarily known for her time on the stage in the West End, but she's appeared in various shows such as EastEnders, The Magic Flute, Rebel Cheer Squad and more.
Yali Topol Margalith as Lauren
Yali Topol Margalith is a new actress and will play Lauren, and her first major credit will be in A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder.
Jude Morgan-Collie as Connor
Jude Morgan-Collie is a young actor who is playing Connor, and has appeared in the TV show, Here We Go, and was in Terminator: Date Fate.
Raiko Gohara as Zach
Raiko Gohara is another young actor who is playing Zach, and has only appeared in the TV series Red Rose thus far. A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder will be his first major TV role.
Other Castings For A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder
In October 2023, Variety also confirmed the enormous ensemble cast that would join the show, and because there are so many, we’re just going to list them out here for you to see:
Yes, this cast is about as long as it can get and I can’t wait to see what they bring to the table.
The Series Is Based On The Novel Of The Same Name
With a title such as A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, one can only wonder what exactly this adaptation is going to be about. That is, assuming you haven't already read the book.
The book's premise is centered around the murder of Andie Bell, a teenager who was killed and everyone in their town has decided who they think the killer is. But our main character, Pippa, is determined to prove that the person they are blaming is not the one guilty – and she is willing to do whatever it takes.
The novel ended up growing in popularity on social media over the last few years, and due to that, the series has turned into a great franchise. The first novel is a New York Times Bestseller, and has continuously popped up on the list again and again thanks to the popularity it gained online.
Whether or not those last two books are also going to be adapted is unknown as of right now, but if the first series does well, who knows?
The Tone Will Be Similar To That Of “Mare Of Easttown” or “Happy Valley” Rather Than Teen Dramas
While there are plenty of great teen dramas out there, Matthew Read and Frith Tiplady, two producers on A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder, said they are trying to make sure the new series appeals to more people than just teenagers.
In an interview with Variety in October 2023, Tiplady said that the tone of the new show is more like Mare of Easttown or Happy Valley, rather than other teen dramas that we are familiar with:
I think a lot of particularly female readers have read it. So I think as a book it’s outreached [the YA market]. And I think when you read the book, Pip, who is the lead character, is like a Miss Marple. You don’t watch Miss Marple because you like hanging out with old ladies, it’s because she’s a brilliant mind and a really great character and we hope that Pip will have the same appeal. Tonally it’s like “Broadchurch” or “Happy Valley” or “Mayor of Easttown” rather than “Sex Education and “Heartbreaker."
Read also confirmed that they are trying to reach a “broader audience” with their show, which only reinstates what Tiplady says.
When Will We See A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder Trailer?
So the real question is when are we going to see a trailer for A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder?
Judging by the filming schedule that we talk about down below, the process of production is done and finished in 2023. We just don’t have a release date yet – and with that, we don’t have a trailer. Hopefully, we’ll get something soon, but at this point, there’s nothing to report.
Poppy Cogan Wrote The Series
Something else that was announced in that Deadline article was that Poppy Cogan is adapting the series from page to screen. The writer has worked on a variety of shows and movies before, including Red Rose, Chloe and The Fold.
Red Rose was actually a horror series for BBC Three, and since A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder incorporates a little of that into the book, I have a feeling that Cogan is going to handle this series well.
If Season 2 Happens, The Second Book Will Be Explored – But There’s A Definite Ending To Season 1 Just In Case
For those who don’t remember, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder has actually become a trilogy with three books, which could lead to a great three-season show. The producers in that interview with Variety regarding the tone of the series said that they would explore the events of book two if Season 2 happens – but if there’s not, there is a “real end” to the first season as a whole, so fans would not be left on a cliffhanger:
We the BBC and ZDF hope that it will be a returning series. But we also want to stress the season has a real end — I think audiences is getting a bit frustrated with not having a resolution.
Honestly, thank God, because if I have another show with a cliffhanger I think I would just about die.
Filming Took Place As Of August 2023
Originally, we reported from the BBC Three press release that production for the show was aimed to begin later in 2023 in the South West of England. Then, in August 2023, Holly Jackson posted a picture of her on set on Instagram, showing that filming had started:
This was later confirmed by set pictures in August 2023 (via Digital Spy) that were taken and showed the actors filming for the upcoming series.
Thankfully, it seems that the filming was not affected by the WGA strike, as this was filmed in the United Kingdom.
There hasn’t been an official update regarding the wrapping of filming, but an account on Instagram that follows updates for the new show posted a compilation of various actors and crew members who posted on their Instagram Stories about the wrapping of the show in September 2023, so there’s a chance filming has wrapped.
Even so, at this point, it’s up in the air, so we’ll see what happens when we finally get a trailer.
What are you the most excited for when it comes to this upcoming adaptation? I just know I need to re-read this book and get ready for all the crazy twists and turns I’m about to get myself into. I need this adaptation to come ASAP.
