EXCLUSIVE: Buffy the Vampire Slayer alumna Sarah Michelle Gellar is set to star in and executive produce Sometimes I Lie, a limited series based on former BBC journalist Alice Feeney’s debut novel. The series is being developed by Ellen DeGeneres’ A Very Good Production and Warner Bros TV whether the company is based. WBTV optioned the book on behalf of A Very Good Production, whose DeGeneres and Jeff Kleeman will executive produce alongside Gellar. Oscar-nominated writer Robin Swicord (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) is set to pen the adaptation.

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In Sometimes I Lie, Gellar stars as Amber Reynolds, a woman who wakes up in a hospital, unable to move, speak or open her eyes. She can hear everyone around her, but they don’t know she can. Amber doesn’t remember what happened, but she has a suspicion her husband had something to do with it. The timeline alternates between her paralyzed present, the week before her accident, and a series of childhood diaries from 20 years ago.

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Sometimes I Lie is an international bestseller released in March 2017 by HQ/HarperCollins in the UK and Flatiron/Macmillan in the U.S. The book has been published in over 20 countries.

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This marks a rare series-starring vehicle for Gellar, who has been sought after the success of Buffy the Vampire Slayer but has been very selective and has only done two series since — the CW’s Ringer and CBS’ The Crazy Ones with Robin Williams.

Sometimes I Lie also marks a new step in the expansion of A Very Good Production. It would be the first limited/drama series for the company, which has produced a couple of comedy series, most recently ABC’s Splitting Up Together, now in Season 2; a number of reality series, including NBC hits Little Big Shots and Ellen’s Game of Games, which just returned for a second season. Additionally, A Very Good Production has animated series Green Eggs and Ham coming up on Netflix.

Sometimes I Lie was packaged by ICM Partners. Feeney is repped by ICM Partners, Curtis Brown Group and Markham, Froggatt and Irwin in the UK. Gellar is repped by ICM Partners, Brillstein Entertainment Partners and Morris Yorn. DeGeneres is repped by ICM Partners and Morris Yorn. Swicord is with UTA.