Netflix has sent waves of excitement through the streaming world with the official greenlight for an eight-episode series adaptation of Bella Mackie’s bestselling novel How to Kill Your Family, casting the electrifying Anya Taylor-Joy in the lead role of Grace Bernard. Announced in August 2024, this darkly comedic psychological thriller marks Taylor-Joy’s triumphant return to Netflix – the platform that launched her to global stardom with The Queen’s Gambit – and promises a razor-sharp exploration of privilege, resentment, and meticulously planned vengeance. With production from the team behind Killing Eve, the series is shaping up to be a sophisticated blend of satire, suspense, and moral ambiguity, turning revenge into an elegant, deadly art form.
The story centers on Grace Bernard, a poised and overlooked young woman who is the illegitimate daughter of Simon Artemis, a merciless billionaire and relentless social climber. Grace and her mother were abandoned after a brief affair Simon claims not to recall, left to struggle while he built his empire and family with others. When her mother dies from cancer and Grace is coldly rejected by the very relatives who should embrace her, something snaps. Grace channels her boiling rage into a chillingly calculated plan: infiltrate the glittering world of high society and eliminate her estranged family members one by one, saving her father for last. Her methods are inventive and morbidly creative – no brute force, but patience, elegance, and unflinching control that make her crimes all the more terrifying.
What sets this tale apart is Grace’s chilling calm and razor-sharp wit. Narrated from her prison cell (where she’s ironically incarcerated for a murder she didn’t commit), the story unfolds as a confessional masterpiece of dark humor and psychological depth. Grace feels no remorse for her actions, viewing them as justified retribution against a family that discarded her like an inconvenience. As she claws her way toward a massive inheritance, the series delves into themes of class warfare, inherited privilege, and the corrosive power of rejection, all wrapped in satirical jabs at the elite’s superficial world.
Anya Taylor-Joy, also serving as executive producer through her LadyKiller Productions, is the perfect embodiment of Grace. With her wide-eyed intensity, ethereal beauty, and ability to convey layers of emotion beneath a composed exterior – as seen in The Queen’s Gambit, The Menu, and Furiosa – Taylor-Joy brings a magnetic danger to the role. Author Bella Mackie has praised the casting enthusiastically, noting that Taylor-Joy “is the most perfect fit to play Grace” and even joking that the actress understands the character better than she does. Taylor-Joy herself expressed unbridled enthusiasm, admitting to “light stalking” Mackie after devouring the book and eagerly anticipating “getting our hands even dirtier” in collaboration with the creative team.
Helming the adaptation is Emma Moran, the brilliant mind behind Extraordinary, who serves as lead writer and executive producer. Moran has teased striking a balance between “camp fun and brutal violence,” capturing the novel’s pitch-black satire while amplifying twists and darker crimes for the screen. Producing the series is Sid Gentle Films, the powerhouse behind Killing Eve, ensuring a stylish, femme-fatale vibe with sharp dialogue and unpredictable tension. Sally Woodward Gentle, Lizzie Rusbridger, and Lee Morris executive produce alongside Moran, Taylor-Joy, and Mackie herself as co-executive producer. This dream team promises a series that’s as addictive as it is unsettling, blending psychological thriller elements with biting comedy.
The novel, published in 2021, became a runaway bestseller, topping charts and selling over a million copies with its irresistible premise and Grace’s unapologetically anti-heroic voice. Readers were captivated by her meticulous plots – from poisoned chocolates to staged accidents – executed with such precision and detachment that you can’t help but root for her, even as the body count rises. The adaptation expands this into a visual feast: lavish parties in opulent mansions, tense infiltrations into exclusive circles, and intimate moments of calculated cruelty, all underscored by Grace’s wry narration.
As development progresses, anticipation builds for how the series will visualize Grace’s transformations – from struggling outsider to polished socialite – and the moral fractures that emerge. Will her scheme cost her more than she gains? The eight episodes allow room for deeper exploration of supporting characters: the oblivious family members, suspicious allies, and perhaps glimpses into Grace’s fractured psyche.
With a cleared legal hurdle from a resolved copyright dispute earlier in 2025, production is moving forward smoothly, eyeing a start in 2026. Netflix’s faith in the project underscores its potential as a prestige thriller, joining ranks with hits like The Queen’s Gambit in showcasing complex female leads. Taylor-Joy’s involvement guarantees buzz, her star power drawing viewers eager for her next commanding performance.
How to Kill Your Family isn’t just another revenge story – it’s a stylish dissection of entitlement, where elegance proves deadlier than outright aggression. Grace Bernard’s journey turns murder into curated perfection, blending sharp dark comedy with suffocating tension. As Netflix prepares to unleash this addictive series, one thing is clear: in the world of high-stakes inheritance and hidden grudges, family ties can be the most dangerous of all.
