Matthew B. Roberts brings his proven Outlander expertise to this adaptation — he's mastered the art of translating complex, emotionally charged novels into blockbuster television. With Netflix's global platform and Sony's production power behind it, this is a match made in literary heaven.
The silence from all parties is deafening. Netflix, Roberts' reps, and Picoult's team all declined to comment — which typically means either this is still very early or someone's trying to control the narrative. Given Roberts just wrapped Outlander's final season, timing this announcement feels calculated.
The Book of Two Ways was published in 2020. Matthew B. Roberts started as a writer and producer on Outlander before becoming showrunner, and he's also developing the prequel series Blood of My Blood. The Outlander series finale airs May 15, 2026.
With Roberts at the helm and a built-in fanbase from both Picoult's literary empire and the Outlander faithful, this series has blockbuster written all over it. But we'll believe it when we see it — silence from the studios speaks louder than press releases.
Netflix is officially getting into the Jodi Picoult business. Sources tell Variety that the streaming giant is developing a series adaptation of Picoult's 2020 novel "The Book of Two Ways," with Matthew B. Roberts attached to write, executive produce, and serve as showrunner. Sony Pictures Television, where Roberts is currently under an overall deal, will produce the project.
For those unfamiliar with the source material, "The Book of Two Ways" follows Dawn Edelstein, a woman who survives a plane crash and begins seeing two divergent paths for her future — one leading back to Boston with her husband and child, another returning her to a career in Egyptology and a lover she left behind. It's classic Picoult: moral complexity, impossible choices, and enough emotional wreckage to fuel a prestige drama. Which, coincidentally, is exactly what Roberts delivered with Outlander.
Speaking of Roberts — this is quite the get for Netflix. The man literally just wrapped the entirety of Outlander, having started as a writer and producer on the series before working his way up to showrunner. He's also the developer and showrunner behind the prequel series "Outlander: Blood of My Blood," which is gearing up for its second season later this year. The timing here is notable: Outlander's eighth and final season is currently airing, with the series finale set for May 15, 2026. Roberts going from one epic Sony-produced franchise directly to another? That's not a coincidence — that's a strategic handoff.
Now, here's where it gets interesting: everyone declined to comment. Netflix refused. Roberts' reps at CAA and Morris Yorn declined. Picoult's representatives at Laura Gross and WME declined. That's a lot of silence for what should be a celebratory announcement. Either this deal is still in its infancy and subject to change, or someone's being very careful about how this story gets told. Given Roberts is transitioning from one major franchise to another, you can bet Sony and Netflix are protecting their asset carefully.
Picoult, for her part, has been here before — just not quite at this scale. Four of her books have previously been adapted for television: "The Pact," "Plain Truth," "The Tenth Circle," and "Salem Falls." And of course, "My Sister's Keeper" became a 2009 film starring Cameron Diaz and Abigail Breslin. But a Netflix series? That's uncharted territory for the bestselling author, and if Roberts pulls this off, it could open the floodgates for more Picoult content on the streamer. The question now is simple: can lightning strike twice for a showrunner who's just ending one historic run?
