“The Witcher” writer Jenny Klein, who was on the creative team for NBC and Blumhouse Television’s limited podcast-to-screen adaptation “The Thing About Pam,” has been promoted to showrunner of the series. Klein, who has also written for “Supernatural” and “Jessica Jones,” replaces Jessika Borsiczky (“House of Lies,” “Sex/Life”). Borsiczky left the project due to creative differences and thus far is still being credited as an executive producer.
Produced by Blumhouse, NBC News Studios, and Big Picture Co., “The Thing About Pam” is based on the 2011 murder of Betsy Faria that resulted in her husband Russ’s conviction, although he insisted he didn’t kill her. His conviction was later overturned. This brutal crime set off a chain of events that would expose a diabolical scheme deeply involving Pam Hupp, played by Renée Zellweger. In addition to the “Bridget Jones’s Diary” actress, Josh Duhamel, most recently seen on “Jupiter’s Legacy,” stars as Joel Schwartz, the defense attorney for Russ Faria.
The Faria case was featured in multiple episodes of “Dateline NBC” and became one of the most popular topics ever featured on the show. It was also dissected on the 2019 podcast “The Thing About Pam,” which remains one of the most downloaded podcasts on iTunes.
Zellweger executive produces, in addition to starring, via her Big Picture Co. banner. Carmella Casinelli, Klein, Mary Margaret Kunze, Liz Cole, Noah Oppenheim, Jason Blum, Chris McCumber and Jeremy Gold also executive produce.
Klein signed a one-year first-look deal with Blumhouse Television this past May, marking her return to the production company after writing and producing the studio’s Facebook Watch drama, “Sacred Lies.” While co-executive producing “The Witcher,” she also co-wrote the rock single “Toss a Coin to Your Witcher.” She is repped by UTA and attorney Robby Koch at Hansen Jacobson.
Deadline first reported the news.