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Philly's 'worst roommate ever' to become movie and TV series

The story of Jamison Bachman will become a movie and TV show.

Jamison Bachman of Philadelphia is accused by Montgomery County authorities of killing his brother Harry Bachman at Harry's home in Elkins Park.
Jamison Bachman of Philadelphia is accused by Montgomery County authorities of killing his brother Harry Bachman at Harry's home in Elkins Park.Read moreHandout

The story of Philadelphia's infamous "worst roommate ever" chronicled in a New York magazine exposé in February is about to become a television series and film courtesy of entertainment company Blumhouse Productions.

Blumhouse has acquired the rights to the story, and plans to develop it for film and television simultaneously, Deadline Hollywood reports. Fast & Furious franchise screenwriter Chris Morgan (best known for writing seven of the Fast and the Furious sequels) has been tapped to develop the film project, while Mary Lisio, head of Blumhouse's alternative and docuseries TV arm, will head up the television show.

Both projects will be based on writer William Brennan's New York magazine story, "Worst Roommate Ever," which tells the story of Jamison Bachman, a serial squatter who used tenancy laws to bilk housemates out of their homes. Brennan's article focuses on former roommate Alex Miller, who knew Bachman as Jed Creek when he moved into her Chestnut Hill apartment. Before long, Bachman began to terrorize Miller and laid claim to the entire space.

According to Brennan's piece, Bachman refused to pay his share of the rent and utilities, stole items from around the living space, clogged the toilet with kitty litter, and physically attacked Miller. Other roommates relayed similar incidents, such as Arleen Hairadedian, who told Brennan that Bachman sent her cats to kill shelters after taking over her house.

In November last year, Bachman was charged with murdering his brother, Harry, in Montgomery County. He was arrested in Willow Grove, and hanged himself in his prison cell at the Montgomery County Correctional Facility prior to his preliminary hearing in December.

The push, Deadline notes, marks the first time Blumhouse has attempted to develop a television series and feature film on the same topic simultaneously. The studio is behind popular projects like The Purge, Get Out, and Paranormal Activity.