Anya Taylor-Joy’s Netflix Series Saved After Copyright Dispute Resolution

Anya Taylor-Joy’s new Netflix series, How to Kill Your Familyhas been saved after resolving a copyright lawsuit. In August 2024, it was announced that Anya Taylor-Joy is leading Netflix’s adaptation of Bella Mackie’s 2021 novel, which follows the murderous Grace Bernard, the daughter of a ruthless billionaire who seeks revenge on her family after a devastating betrayal.

According to Deadline, StudioCanal has resolved a copyright dispute in which the studio had sought an injunction against Netflix’s How to Kill Your Family. StudioCanal filed a lawsuit earlier this year against author Bella Mackie, whose novel serves as the basis for the series, claiming that the book infringed on the copyright of their own 1949 film, Kind Hearts and Coronets.

The 1949 film, starring Alec Guinness, follows the distant relative of a Duke who plots to murder eight heirs ahead of him to claim the title for himself. Mackie has never publicly acknowledged Kind Hearts and Coronets nor an influencealthough critics have frequently drawn comparisons between her 2021 novel and the 1949 film, whose plot is loosely based on the 1907 novel Israel Rank: The Autobiography of a Criminal by Roy Horniman.

In its High Court filing, StudioCanal alleged that How to Kill Your Family copied “a substantial part“of Kind Hearts and Coronets without permission. The studio sought unspecified monetary damages and an injunction preventing Mackie from furtherreproducing” her work, with the complaint specifically referencing the upcoming Netflix adaptation.

The dispute has since been resolved, although the terms of the settlement remain confidential. StudioCanal declined to provide further comment but confirmed that the issue has been settled, and production is on the Netflix series is expected to begin next year.

With the copyright lawsuit resolved, How to Kill Your Family will mark Anya Taylor-Joy’s first Netflix series since The Queen’s Gambit in 2020, which earned her international recognition, a Golden Globe, a SAG Award, and an Emmy nomination. Anya Taylor-Joy also stars in the upcoming Apple TV+ series Luckywhich wrapped filming in July 2025.