She was the faux socialite who tricked New York’s elite into bankrolling her extravagant lifestyle, but when Anna Delvey’s story went viral, a world beyond the Big Apple started paying attention
Delvey (whose real name is actually Anna Sorokin) fleeced banks, businesses, friends, and New York’s ‘it’ scene out of thousands of dollars by claiming to be a German heiress (she is in fact from Russia).
When she was eventually nabbed by the authorities, she was charged with grand larceny and theft and is currently being held in prison without bond.
Oh, and her plea hearing? It was held the same day as Weinstein’s first court appearance, which also happened just across the street…
https://twitter.com/maureenoco/status/1004082920078872582
While it was always a safe bet that a streaming network or film distributor was eventually going to pick up the rights to the story, no one thought it would happen this quickly.
Luckily for viewers at home it’s not just any ol’ company who’s nabbed the juicy rights to this fascinating tale of deception and decadence.
Netflix have jumped on board with the one and only Shonda Rhimes in tow to develop the story.
According to Deadline, this is Rhimes’ first project for the streaming network since leaving ABC.
Helping her along the way will be the writer of the original article, Jessica Pressler.
COULD NOT BE MORE THRILLED I OWE YOU ALL AN EMAIL AS SOON AS MY KIDS TEETH ARE BRUSHED ? @filmcolours https://t.co/hbBf4VTiX5
— Jessica Pressler (@jpressler) June 8, 2018
Although the story is pretty darn intriguing and will most likely have viewers glued to their screens, there’s always a risk when adapting these particular tales for the big or small screen.
How do you tell a story like this without glamourising the events or inadvertently turning Delvey into the celebrity she had always pretended to be?
Notoriety in this instance is inevitable.
"Only in America," Anna Delvey just told me over the phone from Rikers, re the reaction to this article https://t.co/BJDbaSq2x9
— Jessica Pressler (@jpressler) June 7, 2018
Those watching her story unfold on screen will get their true crime fix with a splash of Gossip Girl and a dash of The Bling Ring, as they sit back and watch her fleece thousands of dollars from people so rich they barely notice the money’s missing.
What’s not to love about that?
Maybe Delvey’s the anti-hero we’ve been waiting for? Or perhaps she’s just a con-artist with an obsession with Instagram in a world that perpetuates the culture of influencers, likes, and followers?
What about Delvey’s recent surge in popularity? Will affect or influence her future court appearances?
Maybe the joke’s on all of us and this sudden global interest in Delvey’s life is all part of her best con job yet?
You bet your bottom dollar it is.