Silvia Moreno-Garcia Novel ‘The Daughter of Doctor Moreau’ in Development for TV
Silvia Moreno-Garcia's gothic coming-of-age novel is in development for a TV adaptation

Photos: Martin Dee/ Del Rey Publishing
Latinas in publishing may be small in number (only about 6 percent) but they are mighty in their work and their efforts in amplifying our stories and showcasing our literary prowess. We’ve seen works by Latina authors make their way to our screens or be in development for screen adaptations. More recently, Erika L. Sanchez’s I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter is in development at Amazon MGM Studios as America Ferrera’s directorial debut and Laura Esquivel’s Como Agua Para Chocolate was recently renewed adapted into a series and picked up for a second season on Max following the success of the 1992 film adaptation. Now Mexican Canadian author Silvia Moreno-Garcia is the latest Latina author to have her literary work in development for television, Deadline reported. Moreno-Garcia ’s 2022 historical science fiction novel The Daughter of Doctor Moreau is being developed by writer Debra Moore Muñoz (Mayans M.C.) for television from UCP, a division of Universal Studio Group, Atomic Monster and Telemundo Studios.
Moreno-Garcia, who is also co-producing the project, reacted to news of the television development on Instagram last Thursday: “As reported in Deadline today, my novel THE DAUGHTER OF DOCTOR MOREAU is being developed for TV. Please note ‘in development’ doesn’t mean they’re casting people or anything like that. MEXICAN GOTHIC was also optioned and nothing came of it. But it’s always nice when someone takes an interest in your work. And who knows, maybe this one will make it to the screen.”
The Daughter of Doctor Moreau is a reimagining of the science fiction classic Island of Dr. Moreau by H.G. Wells set in the Yucatán Peninsula. It’s told from the perspective of Dr. Moreau’s only daughter, Carlota—a young woman, growing up in a distant and luxurious estate with her father. Montgomery Laughton is the overseer with a propensity for alcohol who helps Dr. Moreau with his scientific experiments. The hybrids are her father’s creations made to obey their creator—a group of part human, part animal monstrosities. Their lives are disrupted upon the arrival of Eduardo Lizalde, the charming and careless son of Doctor Moreau’s patron. After his arrival, things begin to unfold in this story that blends historical and science fiction. This coming-of-age gothic story has been praised for its exploration of colonialism and resistance from a feminist perspective.
Originally from Baja California, Moreno-Garcia resides in Vancouver and has earned an MA in Science and Technology Studies from the University of British Columbia. Moreno-Garcia’s career has brought on a number of novels such as The Seventh Veil of Salome, Mexican Gothic, Silver Nitrate, and The Beautiful Ones. Her works have also included short fiction like The Return of the Sorceress and Prime Meridian. Her writing has earned multiple awards in the fantasy genre