Double Nickel Entertainment partners Jenette Kahn and Adam Richman have secured all scripted and documentary rights to Jo van Gogh-Bonger. The Woman Who Made Vincent Famous, the definitive biography of Vincent van Gogh’s sister-in-law Jo van Gogh-Bonger to date. They will start by adapting her remarkable story for a limited series with the full authorization and collaboration of the Van Gogh Museum.
Jo, who was married to Vincent's brother Theo, was only 28 when Theo died an agonizing death, leaving her with no income, a newborn baby, and hundreds of Van Gogh's paintings. The art world at that time scorned Van Gogh's work, but Jo challenged it with unswerving dedication and revealed Vincent as the towering genius we know today.
Written by Hans Luijten under the aegis of the Van Gogh Museum, Jo van Gogh-Bonger. The Woman Who Made Vincent Famous is the critically acclaimed book based on 10 years of assiduous research and never-before-seen private family papers generously shared by the Vincent van Gogh Foundation.
The Foundation was established by the Van Gogh Family and the Dutch State and is the legal owner of the main part of the collection in the Van Gogh Museum. The original Dutch publication of Alles voor Vincent (Everything for Vincent) was released in 2019 by Prometheus Publishers, based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Hans, who works as a Senior Researcher at the Van Gogh Museum, is co-author of several books on Van Gogh and co-editor of Vincent van Gogh – The Letters, will be an Executive Producer on the series along with Double Nickel.
“On behalf of the Van Gogh Museum, we are thrilled to be working with Double Nickel on the only official adaptations of Jo van Gogh’s incredible story,” said Rob Groot, the Museum’s Managing Director.
“We were so inspired by Jo when we read Hans’ book,” said Richman and Kahn, "and we know that audiences will be thrilled by this remarkable feminist story of passion, love, and art. It’s an honor to work with the Museum and Hans."
“Having spoken to Double Nickel in detail, I am confident they will do Jo’s story justice. I can’t wait to work with them on this series,” said author Hans Luijten.
“The biography of Jo van Gogh-Bonger is essential to our understanding of Vincent van Gogh and his artistic legacy,” said Mai Spijkers, publisher of Prometheus Publishers. “Double Nickel will undoubtedly inspire audiences around the world with their adaptation of Jo’s astonishing story.”
Also attached to the project are Michael Taylor as CO-Executive Producer and Russell Shorto as Co-Producer.