Zoë Foster Blake’s Things Will Calm Down Soon optioned for TV

Made Up Stories will adapt Zoë Foster Blake's novel into a TV series.
Things Will Calm Down cover. Image: Zoe Foster Blake

Production company Made Up Stories has optioned Australian author Zoë Foster Blake’s new novel, Things Will Calm Down Soon, for television.

Things Will Calm Down is a story about ‘modern entrepreneurship, family, business and motherhood’, following a 30-year-old hair stylist named Kit Cooper. Described as ‘undeniably successful, yet restless’, Kit decides to launch her own product and build a multimillion-dollar business – all while single parenting, managing an unreliable partner and a dysfunctional wider family, and far too many school WhatsApp messages.

When Kit finds herself in the alien world of investors, suits and mergers and acquisitions her relentless anxiety, imposter syndrome and head-spinning busyness begs the question: will things ever calm down?

‘As a female founder, a mother and a lover of books I knew immediately I had to bring Zoe’s brilliant complex and aspirational book to life as a US set TV series,’ Bruna Papandrea, head of Made Up Stories, said. ‘I continue to be inspired to make super fun things I desperately want to see, and the world needs to meet Kit, a woman who reminds me of so many kickass women I know.’

Papandrea, Steve Hutensky and Katie Amos will executive produce for Made Up Stories. Foster Blake will also serve as executive producer and is repped by Tara Wynne at Curtis Brown in Australia and Kristyn Keene Benton at CAA.

‘Bruna is a passionate and proven champion of Australian female authors and their work, and I couldn’t think of anyone more suited or more formidable than Made Up Stories to bring to life the characters and world of THINGS WILL CALM DOWN SOON,Zoë Foster Blake said. I’m delighted; I’m excited.’

ScreenHub: Addition: adaptation of Toni Jordon’s novel to premiere at TIFF 24

Zoë Foster Blake is the author of 17 books, spanning novels, beauty, relationship advice and children’s picture books. Her 2014 novel, The Wrong Girl, was created into a network TV series, and her picture book, No One Likes a Fart, won Australian picture book of the year. In 2014, after a decade as a beauty journalist, Zoë created a successful skincare brand, Go-To.

Made Up Stories, the award-winning global film and TV production company led by Bruna Papandrea (Nine Perfect StrangersPieces of Her, The Undoing) says their aim is to ‘amplify distinctive voices to tell unforgettable stories about the diversity of human experience, driven primarily by multifaceted females on and off-screen.’

Silvi Vann-Wall is a journalist, podcaster, and filmmaker. They joined ScreenHub as Film Content Lead in 2022. Twitter: @SilviReports