The explosive memoir that is triggering a huge Hollywood bidding war

In a classic case of you heard it here first: A bidding war has erupted this week over film rights to Belle Burden’s memoir, “Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage,” Page Six Hollywood has learned.

Sources tell P6H that multiple bidders — including A24, Warner Bros. and Netflix — are currently vying to land the rights to the drama which centers on the real life story of Burden’s 20-year marriage, and how it abruptly ended after her husband walked out on her and their kids in 2020 for another woman at the start of the pandemic.

The project is being shopped around by several different creative teams and in several different formats, including at least one pitch, according to sources. UTA, which is overseeing the project, declined to comment.

P6H previously reported that Burden’s memoir has become arguably the most talked-about book in Hollywood, and that Gwyneth Paltrow was interested in playing Burden, according to sources.

(The role would make sense for the Spence alum and Hollywood scion: Burden is a Harvard-educated lawyer who was born into exceptional privilege. Her dad was Carter Burden, a descendant of the Vanderbilts, while her maternal grandmother was socialite and Truman Capote “Swan,” Babe Paley.)

Burden has some family entertainment ties, too: Her mom, Amanda Burden, was also married to late Warner Communications CEO Steve Ross. The NYC Planning Commissioner from 2002 to 2013 and a Bloomberg Associates exec, Amanda was also later known later as Charlie Rose‘s on-and-off girlfriend.

Hollywood sources also told P6H that it’s still early in development, and Paltrow ain’t the only A-lister interested. (But you can certainly see Paltrow vibing with the material.)

“Strangers” has spent five weeks on the New York Times best-seller list. (Interestingly for movie and TV execs, it’s No. 2 on McNally Jackson’s weekly best-seller list with “Wuthering Heights” and “Heated Rivalry.”