Dear Friends,

We are delighted to share that Sight Unseen Pictures has acquired film rights to Bess Kalb’s affecting debut NOBODY WILL TELL YOU THIS BUT ME. As announced in Deadline, Bess will pen the screenplay with Elizabeth Chomko directing. And the book is currently an Indie Bestseller for Hardcover Nonfiction at #8!

Virago UK is celebrating publication this month with a lovely review from The Observer. “Full of bittersweet cheek and wisecracking wisdom, it’s an ideal tonic for anyone missing elderly relatives.”

And Bess did an interview with the Los Angeles Times, who gave the book a glowing review: “Written from the sometimes acerbic, sometimes sweet and always laser-sharp perspective of Bell, “Nobody Will Tell You This but Me” ranges from Bobby’s mother’s perilous escape from Russian pogroms through the last days of Bobby’s own life. In between are Kalb’s loving recollections of their relationship, including snippets of conversations and voicemails and a steady supply of life advice. In Kalb’s hands, the resulting stew is reliably funny and occasionally poignant on the aftermath of loss.”

Plus an Instagram shout-out from Grammy-nominated artist Aimee Mann: “Here is a book so good I read it in one day!”

‘What They Had’ Helmer Elizabeth Chomko To Direct ‘Nobody Will Tell You This But Me’ Adaptation For ‘Bad Hair’ Producer

By Amanda N'Duka

April 9, 2020 3:30pm

Sight Unseen Pictures, the production company behind Justin Simien’s Sundance thriller, Bad Hair, has nabbed the film rights to Bess Kalb’s memoir, Nobody Will Tell You This But Me. Elizabeth Chomko, who made her directorial debut with What They Had, starring Hilary Swank and Michael Shannon, will direct the feature adaptation.

Kalb, an Emmy-nominated and Writers Guild award-winning writer for Jimmy Kimmel Live!, will pen the screenplay. Kalb has also written for the Oscars and Emmys and is a regular contributor to The New Yorker’s Daily Shouts.

The novel, published by Knopf on March 17, centers on Kalb’s relationship with her grandmother Bobby Bell. Kalb saved every voicemail her grandmother ever left her. Bobby was a force–irrepressible, glamorous, unapologetically opinionated. Bobby doted on Bess; Bess adored Bobby. Then, at ninety, Bobby died. But in this debut memoir, Bobby is speaking to Bess once more, in a voice as passionate as it ever was in life. With humor and poignancy, Bess Kalb gives us proof of the special bond that can skip a generation and endure beyond death.

Sight Unseen’s Eddie Vaisman, Julia Lebedev, and Oren Moverman will produce with Chomko and Justin Grey Stone for Entertainment 360, who brought her the source material. Kalb will serve as executive producer alongside Rachel Jacobs on behalf of Sight Unseen.

Chomko, who earned the Nicholl Fellowship in 2015 for What They Had, is repped by WME, Management 360 and attorney Jeff Bernstein. Kalb is also with WME as well as attorney Darren Trattner.