Penn Badgley is trading his creepy, obsessive stare for a whole new kind of family drama. The You star has just signed on to headline Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone, a murder mystery now in development at Prime Video.
Based on the logline alone, this one feels like a darkly comic twist on the classic dysfunctional family reunion. Badgley will play a member of a clan where, apparently, homicide is just part of the family business. It’s the kind of high-concept setup that practically begs for a quippy trailer and a red-herring count that rivals a seafood market.
For Badgley, this is a major pivot from the role that made him a streaming-era heartthrob with a body count. As Joe Goldberg on Netflix’s You, he spent five seasons convincing audiences that a stalker-kidnapper-murderer could be, if not sympathetic, then at least wildly entertaining to watch. That show ended its run in 2025, and Badgley has been vocal about wanting to move away from the romantic-lead-with-a-dark-side archetype. Now, he’s leaning fully into genre territory - but apparently with a much sharper comedic edge, if the title’s anything to go by.
There’s no director attached yet, and plot details are being kept under lock and key. We don’t know if this is a period piece, a modern-set thriller, or something with a more satirical bent. But the title alone suggests a wry, knowing tone - one that could position Badgley as the straight man in a family full of loose cannons. For an actor who spent years playing a guy who rationalizes his murders with literary monologues, playing someone who’s just one of many killers in the family tree could be a refreshing change of pace.
Prime Video has been aggressively building out its mystery and thriller slate, and this project feels like a natural fit. The streamer has found success with star-driven genre fare that doesn’t take itself too seriously, and a murder mystery with a darkly funny title and a beloved lead actor is catnip for the algorithm. The project is early in development, but the buzz is already building - especially among fans of the source material.
That’s right, this isn’t an original screenplay. Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone is adapted from the 2022 novel by Australian author Benjamin Stevenson. The book was a breakout hit, praised for its clever, Agatha Christie-style plotting filtered through a thoroughly modern, self-aware narrator. We do not have info on the original language, but the novel, as published, was written in English. The story follows Ernest Cunningham, a guide to writing crime fiction who shows up to a family reunion at a remote ski resort - only for bodies to start piling up. The gimmick? Every chapter is titled after a classic mystery novel trope, and Ernest insists he’ll be honest with the reader, even if his family won’t be with each other.
If Badgley is playing Ernest, that’s a role with a lot of voiceover potential - something he’s proven he can nail on You, where his internal monologue was half the fun. The book’s narrator is witty, unreliable in the most charming way, and constantly breaking the fourth wall to explain the rules of the genre. It’s a part that demands charisma, timing, and just a hint of menace. On paper, that’s Penn Badgley in a nutshell.
There’s also a chance Badgley isn't playing Ernest at all, and instead takes on one of the many suspicious family members. But given his star power and the fact that the story revolves around the narrator’s perspective, it’s hard to imagine the producers bringing him in for a supporting role. Either way, his presence immediately elevates the project’s profile.
The book’s international popularity also means the adaptation has a built-in audience. Readers who loved the novel’s puzzles and its sharp, meta-commentary on the mystery genre will be eager to see how it translates to screen. The challenge will be preserving that voice-driven cleverness in a visual medium. With the right director - someone who understands how to balance tension with levity - this could be a genuine crowd-pleaser in the vein of Knives Out or Glass Onion.
For now, we’re left with the title, the star, and a whole lot of anticipation. Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone is scheduled for release at some point in the future, with no confirmed runtime or date. Production hasn’t even announced a filming window, so this one might be a while off. But with Badgley attached, it’s already one of the more intriguing projects on the horizon.
The actor has come a long way from his Gossip Girl days as Dan Humphrey, the lonely writer who eventually revealed himself to be a scheming outsider. Now he’s playing characters who are literally outsiders in their own families. There’s a poetic symmetry there, even if we’re not sure which family member he’s portraying.
Stay tuned to MovieBuzz News for updates on casting, director announcements, and any clues about whether this family’s vacations end in a toast or a tombstone. And if you haven’t read the book yet - well, you might want to get ahead of the curve before the spoilers start flying.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter