Universal has landed the rights to Tanya Smith’s memoir Never Saw Me Coming: How I Outsmarted the FBI and the Entire Banking System—and Pocketed $40 Million, with Grammy nominee and SAG Award winner Janelle Monáe attached to star in the adaptation.
“The Dance Apocalyptic” multi-hyphenate will produce through her Wondaland Pictures’ first look deal at Uni. Smith will serve as EP.
A precocious genius turned mastermind of a $40 million heist, Never Saw Me Coming was an Amazon Editor’s Pick, Barnes & Noble Best Non-Fiction of 2024, Apple’s Best Audiobook of 2024, and one of The New York Times Best Books of the Summer.
Smith’s journey from teenage hacker—who playfully snagged Michael Jackson’s private number—to financial system mastermind begins with a daring $5,000 transfer into her grandmother’s account. By 18, she had already orchestrated a series of sophisticated heists, amassing millions while staying two steps ahead of the law.
When the FBI finally cornered her, they refused to believe a Black woman could be the architect of such sophisticated crimes, smugly asserting “these are not the kind of crimes Black people are smart enough to commit.” Their racist assumption became Smith’s fuel. She responded by orchestrating an even more audacious scheme—systematically outsmarting federal agents while building a $40M empire of cash, diamonds, and gold bars. But her success attracted deadly enemies, and soon Smith found herself dodging both bullets and badges.
Smith faced down the longest white-collar sentence in history. Behind bars, she mounted her own defense and won her freedom, proving once again that underestimating her was everyone’s biggest mistake. Post jail Smith has become an advocate whose mission spans from prison reform and racial justice to women’s rights and economic equality. She channels her experience into advocating for those society often overlooks – from the unemployed and disabled to the homeless and underestimated.
This acquisition continues the trend of Universal Pictures’ high-profile book rights acquisitions, including Britney Spears’ New York Times bestselling memoir The Woman in Me, Colleen Hoover’s Reminders of Him, Percival Everett’s James, Stacey Abrams’ Rules of Engagement and Mark A. Bradley’s Blood Runs Coal: The Yablonski Murders and the Battle for the United Mine Workers of America.
Smith is represented by attorney Mitchell Ostrove at Yorn Levine. Monáe is represented by Wondaland Management, WME, ID PR, Ben Rubenfield at Ziffren, and Johnson Shapiro Slewett & Kole.
SVP Production Development Ryan Jones and Director of Development Tony Ducret will oversee the project for the Studio.
