See-Saw Films wins Lovejoy rights
March 4, 2026
See-Saw Films have won the rights to adapt Dr John Grant’s internationally bestselling series of Lovejoy novels following a competitive bidding war.
Published under the nom de plume Jonathan Gash, the 24-book series of novels carved out a niche in British detective fiction. Featuring a charismatic antiques dealer with an almost mystical knack for spotting genuine artefacts and scams, Lovejoy is one of fiction’s great rogues: irreverent, seductive and always three moves ahead. Pivoting from dealer to detective, he outmanoeuvres rivals, criminals and occasionally the police.
The books were previously adapted into a long running series for the BBC which aired from 1986 to 1994 and starred Ian McShane in the title role.
The award-winning production company behind Slow Horses and Sweetpea will develop the books as a premium returning crime drama. This contemporary reimagining of the Lovejoy novels will strip away the nostalgia of the 1980s adaptation and return to the unrulier spirit of the books: Lovejoy as connoisseur, conman and cultural vandal – gleefully puncturing the powerful while chasing beauty wherever he finds it.
Lisa Moylett of Coombs Moylett Maclean Literary Agency, Dr Grant’s long-time literary agent, said: “Jonathan Gash created an extraordinarily vivid and complex Lovejoy. A morally ambiguous, often unpleasant anti-hero brought to life through taut prose and page-turning stories steeped in the shadowy world of antiques. It was essential that any new adaptation kept the books front and centre. See-Saw’s bold, assured vision, led by Lisa Gilchrist and Helen Gregory, demonstrated exactly how to preserve the books’ wit and grit while reimagining them for today’s audience. We are thrilled to work with them to bring this remarkable legacy back to the screen.”
Serving as Executive Producers for See-Saw Films will be Lisa Gilchrist, Helen Gregory, Iain Canning, Emile Sherman and Simon Gillis. Joining them will be Lisa Moylett and Dr Grant.
The deal was negotiated by Simon Gillis and Laura Mazzola, Head of Business & Legal Affairs (UK), on behalf of See-Saw Films and Sheila David of Catapult Rights Limited on behalf of Dr Grant.
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