Considering the prominence of shows being adapted through different original source materials, could this new thriller from Starz be any different? Is Sweetpea based on a book, too? Here's how the vengeful wallflower was created.
Is Sweetpea Based on a Book? Explaining The Wallflower's Original Source Material
The story of Sweetpea follows the nearly invisible girl, Rhiannon Lewis (played by Arcane and Fallout star Ella Purnell), who has never gained anyone's attention her whole life.
Apart from being overlooked by store clerks and men she rides with on the bus, her own boss also seems to completely ignore her existence or potential for a promotion at work.
However, Rhiannon gets "pushed over the edge and loses control", leading her to a transformational journey of expressing her vengeance in the most not-so-healthy way: on a murder streak. That said, is Sweetpea actually based on a book?
Well, lo and behold, the upcoming thriller show is based on the book of the same title written by C.J. Skuse, who has been writing the Sweetpea novel series since 2017.
Much similar to what the premise and trailer promised, the original novel reads through Rhiannon Lewis' murderous life as a wallflower who goes about her everyday routine through entries in her diary.
As the title suggests, Rhiannon is not who you think she is: The last person who called me 'Sweetpea' ended up dead. If only they knew what this quiet little sweetpea could do.
Purnell recently shared the story of how she terrified a woman during her research for the role. Apparently, the woman caught a glimpse of her search history and essentially had to 'move away' from where she sat in the café.
"It was basically 50 shows about serial killers," she explained, "But specifically female serial killers, because they're very different from male serial killers." Still, the neighbor who witnessed her search history had to 'literally move' away from her out of concern for her baby.
"I really put everything into this — it's the most I've ever put into a project," Purnell adds how nervous she is for this series to come out, "But I'm also excited because I've never done anything like this before."
Starz's Sweetpea story is spread across six episodes releasing every Friday at 12 AM ET except its premiere day, which was on Thursday, October 10.
READ NEXT: Terrifier 3: How Was Art the Clown Resurrected? Slasher's Haunting Return Explained
Ella Purnell's Sweetpea airs its second episode on October 18, 12 AM ET on Starz.
Make sure to follow our official Facebook page for more news and explainer articles about your favorite films and TV shows!