EXCLUSIVE: The Horror of Dolores Roach is headed to the small screen. In a competitive situation, Blumhouse Television has acquired the rights to Gimlet Pictures’ hit horror podcast The Horror Of Dolores Roach to develop as a scripted TV series.

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Written and directed by Aaron Mark, The Horror of Dolores Roach is a grotesque Sweeney Todd-inspired tale of Eat or Be Eaten; a macabre urban legend of love, betrayal, weed, gentrification, cannibalism, and survival of the fittest. It follows the indomitable Dolores Roach who returns to a New York City neighborhood that has changed drastically during the sixteen years she has been in prison. Her boyfriend missing, her family long gone, Dolores is recognized only by an old stoner friend, Luis, who gives Dolores room and board and lets her give massages for cash in the basement apartment under his dilapidated empanada shop.

When the promise of her newfound stability is quickly threatened, “Magic Hands Dolores” is driven to extremes to survive — leaving in her wake a string of strangled massage clients. In the face of unexpected professional success, Dolores and Luis become dangerously symbiotic, and Luis must unleash his own particular predilections.

Mark will pen the series adaptation and co-executive produce. Mark wrote the fictional podcast especially for Daphne Rubin-Vega, and has said her imprint in both scripting and casting the podcast adaptation was enormous.

Gimlet Pictures’ Giliberti and Justin McGoldrick will executive produce with Blumhouse TV’s Jason Blum, Marci Wiseman and Jeremy Gold. Rubin-Vega will sere as a consulting producer.

“We were bowled over by the ingenuity of this podcast at Blumhouse Television, and had so many ideas about how to bring The Horror of Dolores Roach to the small screen,” said Marci Wiseman and Jeremy Gold, co-presidents of Blumhouse Television.

“We are looking forward to the collaboration with Chris [Giliberti] and his team at Gimlet in bringing this ghastly story to the screen, and in expanding the premium quality portfolio for Blumhouse Television.”

“We’re thrilled to be producing with Jason, Marci, Jeremy and team on The Horror of Dolores Roach,” said Chris Giliberti, Head of Gimlet Pictures. “Given Blumhouse’s track record in high concept genre and horror, we couldn’t imagine a more perfect partner.”

Gimlet Pictures, headed by Giliberti, is the film and TV arm of podcast network Gimlet Media, which was purchased in February by music streaming service Spotify for $230 million.

Gimlet is repped by CAA and Jackoway Tyerman. Mark is repped by ICM and Industry Entertainment.