The C.S. Lewis Company to partner with Fellowship for Performing Arts to produce a feature film of C.S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters
The C.S. Lewis Company to partner with Fellowship for Performing Arts to produce a feature film of C.S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters
Lewis’ legendary battle between good and evil and heaven and hell heads to the big screen.
NEW YORK, June 5, 2025 – Fellowship for Performing Arts (FPA), known for its acclaimed theatrical adaptations drawn from the writings of C.S. Lewis, has acquired the rights to partner with The C.S. Lewis Company to bring one of Lewis’ most influential novels, The Screwtape Letters, to the big screen as a feature film.
“We are thrilled to be collaborating with The C.S. Lewis Company on this amazing project,” said Max McLean, founder and Artistic Director of Fellowship for Performing Arts.
FPA’s theatrical adaptation of The Screwtape Letters has played to sold-out audiences for nearly two decades in New York, London, and across the U.S.
Vincent Sieber-Smith, Managing Director of The C.S. Lewis Company and a producer of Netflix’s upcoming The Chronicles of Narnia films, affirmed the partnership: “Fellowship for Performing Arts has long demonstrated a remarkable ability to enhance Lewis's legacy for new audiences through compelling, imaginative, and faithful theatrical adaptations of his books. We are excited to begin work on this screen adaptation and look forward to bringing this story to a new generation.”
In the 1942 novel, Lewis creates a topsy-turvy, morally inverted universe seen through the eyes of ‘His Abysmal Sublimity, Screwtape,’ a senior tempter in Hell mentoring his nephew, the novice tempter named Wormwood, in the subtle art of leading an unsuspecting human soul toward damnation.
“The novel’s enduring popularity reveals how deeply its themes of spiritual warfare still resonate with audiences,” said McLean.
Critics have praised the stage adaptation’s creativity and impact. The Wall Street Journal called it “Wickedly Witty. One Hell of a Good Show.” The New York Times said, “The Devil has rarely been given his due more perceptively.” The National Review hailed it as “Pure Genius!” and Newsweek named it one of the best productions of 2018.
“We are honored by the trust The C.S. Lewis Company has placed in us,” said Ken Denison, FPA's Executive Producer. “This is a major creative responsibility—and a thrilling opportunity to bring one of Lewis’ most iconic characters to the big screen.”
Details on the creative team, casting, production timeline, and distribution plans will be announced in the coming months. The film will follow the success of FPA’s first cinematic release, The Most Reluctant Convert, which debuted to wide acclaim in 2021.
About Fellowship for Performing Arts
Fellowship for Performing Arts is a New York City-based nonprofit producing theatre and film from a Christian worldview to engage a diverse audience. Founded by actor and playwright Max McLean, FPA’s productions have toured major cities nationally and internationally and include The Screwtape Letters, The Great Divorce, C.S. Lewis On Stage: The Most Reluctant Convert, Further Up & Further In, the award-winning Mark’s Gospel, the first New York revival of the Tony-nominated Shadowlands, A Man For All Seasons, and the world premieres of Martin Luther on Trial and a modern adaptation of Paradise Lost.
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