Flying Scoop Television Acquires Film Rights to 'Evil on the Roof of the World' True Story

Flying Scoop Television has optioned the film rights to William Elliott Hazelgrove's narrative nonfiction book Evil on the Roof of the World: A Cycling Trip That Ended in Terror. The award-winning production company plans to adapt the harrowing true story of Lauren Geoghegan and Jay Austin, two American idealists who left stable careers in Washington, D.C. to embark on a global cycling journey that ended tragically in July 2018 when they were murdered by ISIS terrorists in Tajikistan's remote Pamir Mountains.

The book, published by Bloomsbury on November 13, 2025, reconstructs the couple's story through their Simply Cycling travel blog, social media posts, interviews with friends and family, and global media coverage. Mark Finkelpearl, Partner and Executive Producer at Flying Scoop, described the story as heartbreaking, courageous, and deeply cinematic, stating that the company is honored to partner with Hazelgrove to bring Lauren and Jay's journey and legacy to the screen.

Flying Scoop, which describes itself as Content Engineers™ and specializes in bold, story-driven content for television and streaming platforms, has produced hundreds of hours of programming for networks including National Geographic, Discovery, and Fox Nation. Their most recent release, The Real Hatfields and McCoys Forever Feuding, achieved streaming success, demonstrating the company's ability to handle complex true stories with sensitivity and production quality.

Finkelpearl emphasized that Evil on the Roof of the World represents more than just a true crime story, calling it a meditation on youthful dreaming, unflinching hope, and what happens when that hope collides with the darkest corners of reality. The adaptation aims to explore the broader themes of idealism, risk, love, and violence that Hazelgrove's book examines through the lens of Geoghegan and Austin's experiences.

Nathaniel Starck, Executive Producer and Director at Flying Scoop, added that the company's goal is to adapt the book with integrity, showing both the beauty of Lauren and Jay's journey and the tragedy of their loss. He characterized the project as a story about two people who believed in connection and risk, and what their lives meant to everyone who knew them.

William Elliott Hazelgrove, the National Bestselling author of ten novels and twelve nonfiction titles, has received critical acclaim for his sensitive, deeply researched storytelling in Evil on the Roof of the World. Reviewers have compared the book's approach to Jon Krakauer's Into the Wild, praising its exploration of the couple's decision to abandon conventional careers in pursuit of adventure and human connection. More information about the author can be found at https://www.williamhazelgrove.com.

The film adaptation represents a significant undertaking for Flying Scoop Television, requiring careful handling of sensitive subject matter while honoring the memory of the victims and their families. The project aligns with the company's focus on real people and exploration of what they term the hidden edges of society, bringing an outsider's perspective paired with high production values to challenging true stories.