Blake Lively to feature in Netflix thriller written at coffee shops

American actress Blake Lively will star in an upcoming Netflix psychological thriller written by a man in coffee shops.

The 33-year-old actress, Blake Lively, will not only star in the movie but also produce it under her production company 'B for Effort'.

Marcus Kliewer, a 2011 graduate of Kelowna Christian School, has sealed a six-figure deal from Netflix to produce the film. The 28-year-old man, an animator in the Vancouver film business, was a bit shocked with the deal as he has never been paid for his writings.

"This has all been pretty overwhelming and surreal," Kliewer said in an interview. "I'm still just sort of processing it. A little bit in shock, to be honest."

The novella, titled 'We Used to Live Here,' is about a homeowner, who is visited by a family. The father of the visiting family seeks permission to enter the house claiming he used to live in the house and wants to come inside for a trip down memory lane.

Kliewer had a true-life incident as the inspiration for the story. "It always stuck in my head very vividly," Kliewer said. "I don't believe in ghosts personally, but this guy who lived in my family's old house seemed so sincere."

"It was almost like he was almost embarrassed to tell us what was going on, and that really spooked me," Kliewer said.

After the Covid-19 pandemic started raging, his contract work in the Vancouver animation industry came to a close. And, he had plenty of time. So, he started writing a novella in coffee shops.

"I probably wrote 90% of it at two Dennys restaurants," Kliewer said laughing. "I ordered food too, you know, so I wasn't just one of those guys."

Kliewer said he received support and feedback from the restaurants' staff and online input from the readers. This is how the story built up.

"I'm incredibly grateful to my friends and family and people who've read my story online and offered their comments and suggestions," he said. "I definitely would not have kept writing without their support."

Blake Lively has already been working on two Netflix projects: Lady Killer, based on the Dark Horse comic series and The Husband’s Secret, based on the Liane Moriarty novel.