A Journey from Imagination to the Screen
Ruth Ware, the acclaimed author of The Woman in Cabin 10, described the experience of seeing her story brought to life on screen as “surreal.” Speaking exclusively at a London special screening of the Netflix adaptation, Ware reflected on how it felt to witness her fictional world come to life.
“I had dreamt up this universe in my spare room 10 years ago,” she shared. “It was like an out-of-body experience watching the film for the first time. But the moment I realized it was all real was when I visited the set and stepped into a world that had only existed in my mind.”
The film, based on her 2016 novel, stars Keira Knightley as Laura “Lo” Blacklock, a journalist who witnesses a passenger being thrown overboard during a luxury yacht trip. However, with everyone accounted for, no one believes her, forcing Lo to risk everything to uncover the truth.
Ware expressed her satisfaction with the creative team behind the project, including director Simon Stone. She admitted that while she knows how to write a book, making a movie is a completely different process.
“I wasn’t afraid to hand over creative control to the experts,” she said. “The book is told entirely from Lo’s perspective, but a film has to show things externally. The audience needs to interpret what they see, so the storytelling had to be adjusted—especially the ending. I think they did some really clever workarounds.”
When asked about Keira Knightley’s portrayal of Lo, Ware was “bowled over” by the casting.
“She’s more beautiful than I imagined, but she captured the essence of Lo perfectly,” Ware said. “She brings that anxious, vulnerable, yet tough and determined spirit that I was trying to create.”
Beyond The Woman in Cabin 10, several of Ware’s other novels are also being adapted for the screen. For instance, In a Dark, Dark Wood is currently in development, with Reese Witherspoon and producer Bruna Papandrea involved. New Line Cinema has acquired the film rights, and writer Arash Amel has been brought on board.
However, Ware jokes that she’s often the last to know about the progress of these adaptations.
“I have lots of books that have been optioned, but which one will actually make it to the screen? That’s a mystery even to me,” she said.
In addition to her ongoing projects, Ware recently released the sequel to The Woman in Cabin 10, titled The Woman in Suite 11. She also revealed that she’s working on a new novel set for release in the summer of 2027.
“It’s too early to say much, but I think it’ll have a folk horror vibe—something like The Wicker Man,” she mentioned.
The film adaptation of The Woman in Cabin 10, produced by Debra Hayward and Ilda Diffley of Sister, is set to stream on Netflix starting October 10.
For fans of Ware’s work, the transition from page to screen marks a significant milestone in her career. As she continues to explore new stories and genres, her ability to craft compelling narratives remains as strong as ever.
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