Harlan Coben Reveals Which Epic Crime Series He Wants To Adapt Next — But There’s a Catch [Exclusive]

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In over three years at Collider, senior author Jake has now penned over 2500 articles covering a wide range of TV and film for the resources, lists, utilities, news, and interview teams. Alongside interviewing stars such as Selin Hizli, Rose Ayling-Ellis, and Chelsea Peretti, Jake was lucky enough to visit the set of Aardman and Netflix's Wallace and Gromit: A Vengeance Most Fowl in 2024, getting the chance to chat with four-time Academy Award winner Nick Park and Merlin Crossingham. Jake has also worked for other publications, including Agents of Fandom.

When acclaimed crime writer Harlan Coben and Netflix first announced their multi-year collaboration in 2018, few could've foreseen just how successful it would be. From the pulse-racing, cap-wearing fun of The Stranger and the female-led Stay Close to the brilliantly twisted Fool Me Once and the recent arrival of Run Away, viewers have been kept firmly on the edge of their seats for eight tense years. Thankfully, the partnership is far from done, with production having already completed on the upcoming adaptation of Coben's I Will Find You, starring Avatar: Fire and Ash's Sam Worthington.

Ahead of the release of Coben's first foray into the world of true crime in CBS's Harlan Coben's Final Twist, I spoke with the Edgar Award-winner about what the future may bring, as he revealed which of his novels he'd love to get the television treatment. "I think the novel that hasn’t yet been adapted that I’m really anxious to get started… well, there’s two. I’ll cheat," Coben said. "I’ll say Six Years, which is sort of a love story and a thriller built into one, and The Boy From the Woods. Those are the adaptations I’d love to work on next."

But what about novels not of Coben's, he would love to try his TV hand at? The author was more hesitant to answer, admitting, "I’m afraid to answer the second one, because I have so many friends who are writing great novels, and they’ll all get angry at me that I didn’t pick theirs." Thankfully for lovers of crime literature, Coben added, "But I’ve always loved Lawrence Block’s Matthew Scudder series, which I kind of grew up on, and I’d love to update that maybe and bring something by Lawrence Block back."

A 'Matthew Scudder' Adaptation Already Exists

The tenth novel in the Scudder series, A Walk Among the Tombstones, was actually adapted into a feature film back in 2014, led by the ever-brilliant Liam Neeson as Scudder. Dan Stevens, David Harbour, and Logan’s Boyd Holbrook all featured among a stacked ensemble, although the film sadly failed to find much success, falling to a mixed critical reception and unremarkable box office run. Perhaps with the detailed eye of Coben behind a future Scudder project, and likely with the backing of Netflix, the success a Block adaptation deserves could be achieved.

Run Away is available now on Netflix, with Final Twist on CBS.