Flying Scoop Television, an award-winning production company, has optioned the film rights to Evil on the Roof of the World: A Cycling Trip That Ended in Terror, a narrative nonfiction book by William Elliott Hazelgrove. The book, published by Bloomsbury on November 13, 2025, tells the harrowing true story of Lauren Geoghegan and Jay Austin, two young Americans who left their careers in Washington, D.C., to cycle the world but were brutally murdered by ISIS terrorists in Tajikistan's Pamir Mountains in July 2018.
The couple, along with two fellow cyclists, were killed on a remote highway in the region known as "the Roof of the World." Hazelgrove reconstructs their journey through their travel blog, social media posts, interviews, and media coverage, offering a profound look at idealism, risk, and tragedy. "This story is heartbreaking, courageous, and deeply cinematic," said Mark Finklepearl, partner and executive producer at Flying Scoop. "Flying Scoop is honored to partner with William Hazelgrove to bring Lauren and Jay's journey — and their legacy — to the screen."
Flying Scoop, known for producing content for National Geographic, Discovery, and Fox Nation, emphasizes that the adaptation will go beyond true crime. "Evil on the Roof of the World is about more than a single act of terror," Finklepearl said. "It's a meditation on youthful dreaming, unflinching hope, and what happens when that hope collides with the darkest corners of reality." Executive producer and director Nathaniel Starck added, "Our goal is to adapt the book with integrity — to show the beauty of Lauren and Jay's journey, as well as the tragedy of their loss. This is more than a true crime story: it's a story about two people who believed in connection and risk."
The book has drawn comparisons to Jon Krakauer's Into the Wild for its sensitive, deeply researched storytelling. Hazelgrove is a national bestselling author of ten novels and twelve nonfiction titles, with works receiving starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, and Booklist, as well as multiple awards. More information about the author can be found at www.williamhazelgrove.com.
Flying Scoop Television, which describes itself as "Content Engineers," specializes in bold, story-driven content for TV, streaming platforms, and brands, often exploring the "hidden edges of society." The company has produced hundreds of hours of television, with its latest release, The Real Hatfields and McCoys Forever Feuding, achieving streaming success. The adaptation of Evil on the Roof of the World aims to honor the memory of Geoghegan and Austin while examining the broader implications of their story.
