Anya Taylor-Joy's New Apple TV Crime Thriller Is Completely Different From the Book It's Based On

Published Jul 20, 2026, 6:41 PM EDT Erin Konrad's love for everything entertainment dates back to elementary school when she became obsessed with classic Hollywood musicals. When she's not catching up on all her favorite television shows, she's advising her friends and family on what they should binge watch next. She has her Bachelor's degree in Journalism and a Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Writing. Creating content for Collider gives her the opportunity to combine her writing skills with her passion for television and movies. She spends her free time trying to beat her personal record of reading 137 books in a year and cuddling with her dog, Gracie. There have been a lot of super successful book adaptations for television over the past year. Apple TV's Margo's Got Money Troubles, Netflix's Remarkably Bright Creatures, and HBO's Heated Rivalry are just a few examples of shows that have used books as their source material to great effect. This week, Apple TV released a new crime thriller that also uses a novel as a jumping-off point, but this series is branching off in major ways from the book it's based on. What Is 'Lucky' About? Lucky is a fast-paced, action-packed drama created by Jonathan Tropper (Your Friends and Neighbors) and based on a 2021 novel by Marissa Stapley. In the first episode, we meet Luciana "Lucky" Armstrong (Anya Taylor-Joy), a woman who is high on life after successfully pulling off a multi-million dollar heist with her husband, Cary Masterson (Drew Starkey). They spend the night in Las Vegas, living it up in an alcohol-fueled celebration, but things go sideways when Lucky wakes up the next morning in their hotel room to discover that Cary is gone... and so is the money. Before she can even get her wits about her, Lucky is tracked down by the FBI, led by Agent Billie Rand (Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor). In a heart-pumping escape, Lucky manages to slip through law enforcement's clutches, but that's really only the beginning of her troubles. There's another woman who's intent on capturing Lucky — the ruthless mob boss, Priscilla (Annette Bening), who just so happens to also be Lucky's mother-in-law. Lucky and Cary actually stole money that belonged to Priscilla, which means that Lucky has made herself one dangerous enemy. In the seven-episode miniseries, Lucky must try to survive on the run from both the FBI and Priscilla, using her whip-smart intelligence and wily survival skills to outsmart everyone. Apple TV's 'Lucky' Diverges Wildly From the Original Novel Lucky is already shaping up to be one of the most exciting adaptations of the year, but it's actually pretty different from the novel it's based on. The book shares the same name as the series, and the essence of who Lucky is remains untouched. Lucky still has a grifter father (played by Timothy Olyphant) and has grown up in a life of crime. She and Cary do pull off a heist, and Cary does abscond with the money, but the book's plot diverges from there. Lucky ends up buying a winning lottery ticket worth $390 million, but she can't cash it without alerting the FBI to her location, and the book's action centers on this compelling dilemma. The book's narrative is also told in a dual-timeline framework, which dives further into Lucky's upbringing. The series has had some minor flashbacks to Lucky's childhood so far, but the storytelling is much more focused on Lucky's present rather than her past. There are also several subplots in the novel, including Lucky searching for her long-lost mother and pulling off scams on the unsuspecting elderly, which seem to have been discarded for the television adaptation. If the miniseries had served as a strict interpretation of the novel, it would have been much more focused on in-depth character development. By zeroing in on the most exciting aspects of Lucky, however, the Apple TV show has built a much more entertaining high-octane thriller. The good news is that Stapley approved of the changes the series implemented in the adaptation process. In an interview with Elle, she said, "There are some notable plot differences that I knew about. And I did feel nervous going into watching the episodes because I wondered if I might feel disconnected. Is it going to feel like it's mine? It's a trust fall, and that's okay. You have to give it your blessing and let go." Stapley also noted that the book almost feels like more of a prequel when read alongside the series, which allows both the novel and the show to be appreciated as stand-alone projects. The differences between the novel and Apple TV's series will likely be more noticeable as episodes continue to air, but Lucky has already proven that it has an intriguing, badass protagonist and a host of supporting characters that are every bit as captivating. With multiple terrifying villains and non-stop action, Lucky might be a whole other beast when compared to the book, but it's every bit as good. Lucky Release Date July 15, 2026 Network Apple TV Cast Showrunner Jonathan Tropper, Cassie Pappas, Jonathan van Tulleken