Lilly Wachowski To Adapt The Trans Horror Novel Manhunt

Lilly Wachowski, co-director of The Matrix and trans filmmaker, is set to adapt Manhunt, a 2022 dystopian horror novel by Gretchen Felker-Martin.

The adaptation promises to bring Felker-Martin’s brutal and gripping narrative to life on screen, a story that centres around trans women surviving in a post-apocalyptic world where testosterone transforms people into feral, zombie-like creatures.

Lilly Wachowski to adapt Manhunt

Felker-Martin, thrilled by the news, shared her excitement on X, writing, “The cat’s out of the bag, baby,” and expressing that she “couldn’t be prouder or more excited to be writing it.”

The cat’s out of the bag, baby. I’m adapting MANHUNT for TV with Lilly Wachowski, and I couldn’t be prouder or more excited to be writing it. We’re going to do our damnedest to bring this thing kicking, screaming, and queer as hell onto the screen.https://t.co/rBQgetGHei

— Gretchen Felker-Martin (@scumbelievable) October 11, 2024

Fans of trans horror are eager to see this ground-breaking story brought to the screen, especially given the novel’s unique take on a post-apocalyptic narrative, which diverges from the usual cisgender lens.

In Manhunt, trans women Beth and Fran are on the run, not only from these feral men but also from a group of murderous TERFs.

The narrative goes beyond mere survival, as the women struggle to continue their transitions amidst the chaos, a literal fight for life in the new world gone mad.

Manhunt is not for the faint of heart, and readers can expect the TV adaptation to be just as intense and horrifying.

More projects in the works for Wachowski

Wachowski, who has always been open about her commitment to telling queer and trans stories, expressed her passion for the project in an interview with Autostraddle. “We’re going to do our damnedest to bring this thing kicking, screaming, and queer as hell onto the screen,” she said.

This adaptation isn’t the only queer project on Wachowski’s radar.

During her Autostraddle interview, she revealed that she is also adapting Jordy Rosenberg’s historical, genre-bending novel Confessions of the Fox.

Additionally, Wachowski shared that she had just completed a script with her partner, a response to the rising wave of anti-trans sentiment worldwide.

The script, titled The Hunted, explores a resistance movement led by trans people in a murder mystery that infiltrates the highest levels of government. “What if trans people could form this almost weather underground level of resistance?” Wachowski teased.

No further details have been released about the adaptation of Manhunt and when it is set to be released.