Ridley Scott's Scott Free London Options 'The Fishing Fleet'

LONDON – Ridley Scott’s British-based film and TV banner Scott Free London has snapped up movie rights to Anne de Courcy’s best-selling book The Fishing Fleet.

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De Courcy’s book is billed as a vivid and compelling social history of husband hunting in the Raj in late 19th century India.

It describes the exploits of young British women sent by the boatload to India to find love and marriage.

Scott Free London will develop the book for a feature film adaptation with the outpost's head Liza Marshall producing.

De Courcy will act as development consultant for the project.

The deal was negotiated by Blake Friedmann's Conrad Williams and Carlo Dusi for Scott Free London.

It is published in the U.K. by W&N, an imprint of Orion Publishing.