Netflix confirms new Harlan Coben series after massive success of Fool Me Once
New thrillers based on Coben novels are heading to Netflix
Netflix has its first hit of 2024 in the form of Fool Me Once, so it comes as little surprise that the streamer is looking to build on the huge popularity of the thriller series by quickly commissioning even more shows based on Harlan Coben novels.
Fool Me Once is currently the No. 1 show on Netflix in both the U.S. and U.K. and has reached the top 10 in more than 90 countries worldwide. In its first two weeks, it’s amassed more than 61m views globally, and social media has been dominated by theories, easter eggs and, of course, memes relating to the twisting mystery show.
Naturally, Netflix is striking while the iron is hot and just confirmed that two more of Coben’s books will be adapted into limited series. The novels will be Missing You and Run Away. The former hit bookshelves in 2014, with the latter arriving in 2019.
These two shows will be Netflix’s 9th and 10th adaptations of Coben’s works respectively. Alongside Fool Me Once, previous efforts include Stay Close, Hold Tight, Safe and The Stranger.
The partnership between the American author and Netflix has been a very fruitful one and Netflix shows based on his best-selling books little signs of slowing down. There’s no release date for either Missing You or Run Away, but we do know that Missing You will begin filming in the spring.
These new thrillers could be Netflix hits
Don’t expect either show until 2025 at the very earliest, but in the meantime, Netflix has released a brief synopsis for each series to give us a flavor of what mysteries they will be unspooling.
Missing You will follow Detective Kat Donovan who finds her fiancé Josh on a dating app 11 years after he disappeared from her life without a trace. Confronting the sudden return of the man she believed was the love of her life opens up old wounds, and could be linked to the mysterious death of her father as well as other long-buried secrets from Kat’s past.
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Meanwhile, Run Away centers on Simon, an everyday man whose perfect life is shattered when his eldest daughter Pagie runs away from home. Later finding his daughter alone and strung out on drugs in a park, Simon’s life is thrown into turmoil all over again as his search for answers draws him into a dangerous underworld that could tear his family apart forever.
There’s no casting news for either Netflix show as of yet. But it’s been confirmed that Sean Spencer will direct Missing You, while the series is written by Victoria Asare-Archer, who penned two episodes of Netflix’s Stay Close. Meanwhile, Run Away will be adapted by Danny Brocklehurst who wrote Fool Me Once.
These two thriller series will no doubt make a similarly large splash when they arrive on Netflix. But their debut won't be anytime soon. So, if you're looking for something to watch now, check out our round-up of the best new shows to watch this week.
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Rory is an Entertainment Editor at Tom’s Guide based in the UK. He covers a wide range of topics but with a particular focus on gaming and streaming. When he’s not reviewing the latest games, searching for hidden gems on Netflix, or writing hot takes on new gaming hardware, TV shows and movies, he can be found attending music festivals and getting far too emotionally invested in his favorite football team.