EXCLUSIVE: Shut Up and Play The Hits producer Pulse Films has teamed with Paramount Television to option the rights to Dan Hancox’s grime book Inner City Pressure.

The two companies are to adapt the book, which tells the story of the British music genre that spawned the likes of Dizzee Rascal, Stormzy and Skepta, for television.

It is the latest collaboration between the two companies, which are also working on a true-crime series investigating the disappearance of British child Madeleine McCann for Netflix.

The book, which was published in May, tells the story of a group of young MCs in London that went from council estates to becoming the most famous musicians in the country. It explores how the government tried to control their music, the police shut down their clubs and how they were initially ignored by national radio stations. A decade of in-depth interviews with the key figures, the book tells the full story of grime, a genre that went on to become a British institution.

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It will be produced by Pulse Films’ Thomas Benski, Lucas Ochoa and Sam Bridger and the deal was negotiated by Pulse Films’ Commercial Director Tim O’Shea and Lana Beckwith on behalf of HarperCollins.

Paramount Television is currently producing the second season of John Krasinski’s Jack Ryan for Amazon and recently launched Emma Stone and Jonah Hill’s Maniac for Netflix, while Pulse Films’ latest projects including Skate Kitchen and Rudeboy: The Story of Trojan Records as well as forthcoming Sky drama Gangs of London.

Hancox said, “I’m thrilled to be working with Paramount Television and Pulse Films on bringing Inner City Pressure to the screen. The response to the book has been incredible. I think people really recognize that you can’t tell the story of grime without telling the story of the city and society around it – and likewise, if you want to understand London, its politics, poverty, riots, gentrification, frustrations, tensions and joys, there’s no better insight into the first two decades of 21st century London than grime. The fact that a company with a track record as fantastic as Paramount TV and Pulse want to bring all those interlocking threads to life as well is tremendously exciting, and I can’t wait to get started.”

Benski said, “Inner City Pressure vividly depicts the origins of grime from a burgeoning subculture into a tour de force of British influence from a cultural, social and political point of view. The way punk marked a generation, grime has become the symbol of a movement that now reaches beyond the UK. As a studio we try to find high-end IP that can create moments of culture. The book, the story and this new series all have the components of a genre defining show that is ready to cross-over and shine a light on a defining contemporary story. The partners around this project are tremendous and I could not be more excited to embark on this journey with Paramount Television, HarperCollins and Dan Hancox.”

Nicole Clemens, President, Paramount Television said, “We are thrilled to be working with Dan, Pulse Films and HarperCollins on this project. Dan has brilliantly captured the essence of a movement that changed popular culture and we know that the stories to be told will resonate with television audiences.”

Lana Beckwith, Senior Content Development Manager at HarperCollins, added, “As soon as I read Inner City Pressure, I knew it would translate to the screen. It’s an amazing story, told brilliantly by Dan Hancox, who has such expertise in the subject. It became a real passion project, and I’m delighted to have agreed this deal with Pulse Films, who immediately impressed with their strong creative vision and flawless credentials. I’m certain that the creative partnership between Dan and the fantastic team at Paramount TV and Pulse will lead to very exciting things indeed.”