HBO Reportedly Circling ‘The Chain’ TV Series With Damon Lindelof in Talks

Damon Lindelof may be heading back to HBO for another major project. According to reporter Jeff Sneider, Lindelof is rumored to be in talks to write a television adaptation of The Chain. The project is said to be in early stages, and no official deal has been announced.

The story is based on the novel The Chain by Adrian McKinty, which was released in 2019. The plot focuses on a frightening system built on fear and pressure. A young girl is taken by a group known as The Chain. Her mother is told she can only get her child back if she kidnaps another child. That second parent is then forced to do the same, creating an ongoing cycle of crime driven by desperation.

The book has an unusual backstory. McKinty had stepped away from writing several years before the novel was published.

He was struggling financially and took other jobs to support himself. His situation caught the attention of crime writer Don Winslow, who helped connect McKinty with producer and screenwriter Shane Salerno. After a long phone call, Salerno convinced him to write one more book and even loaned him money to get through the process. That decision changed McKinty’s career.

The Chain quickly gained attention after its release. It led to a major publishing deal and brought McKinty back into the spotlight. The book was released in dozens of countries and drew interest from film studios. At different points, Paramount Pictures and later Universal Pictures picked up the rights. A film version was once planned with Edgar Wright attached to direct and Jane Goldman set to write the script, though that project has not yet been released.

Now, the story may find new life on television. If the HBO series moves forward, it would add another high-profile title to Lindelof’s résumé. He is known for working on serious and emotionally heavy stories, which fits the dark tone of The Chain.

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