A discussion with Dennis Tafoya about "Dope Thief" and its transformation from written work to a screenplay project.
Dope Thief Transformation: From Dennis Tafoya's Novel to a Captivating Apple TV+ Series
The groundbreaking crime series, Dope Thief, debuted on Apple TV+, offering a thrilling exploration for crime fiction enthusiasts. Based on the novel by Dennis Tafoya, the series was developed by Peter Craig and Ridley Scott served as an executive producer. Scott directed the initial episode of the eight-episode series. In an exclusive conversation, Tafoya divulged the long, convoluted journey Dope Thief embarked on from its initial publication to its life on the small screen.
Scott: Congratulations on the successful adaptation of Dope Thief. It's truly exciting! However, let's delve into the beginning. You wrote Dope Thief way back in 2009, and I'm intrigued to know, can you even recall the process of writing the novel? What inspired the story, and what ideas lies behind it?
Dennis: At the time, I was immersed in the works of renowned authors like Elmore Leonard, Lawrence Block, Charles Willeford, and captivated by crime movies like To Live and Die in LA and Drugstore Cowboy. Classic films such as Gun Crazy, Asphalt Jungle, High Sierra (with Ida Lupine's haunting line, "What does it mean when a man crashes out?") also played a significant role. I devoured engrossing nonfiction crime novels, penned by the likes of Jack Olsen, Anne Rule, and Tim Cahill. The inspiration and ideas teleported into a remarkable concoction when I was trying to craft something appealing, blending all these diverse influences and incorporating some personal experiences, conversations with my uncle, and hospital work.
Scott: You've set the novel primarily in Philadelphia, but the story extends into rural areas of Pennsylvania. It's intriguing how rural crime fiction settings are seldom tackled. Witness, set in Amish country, and Mare of Easttown are among the rare exceptions. The remote areas of Pennsylvania portrayed in the novel caught my attention and kept me hooked, as they aren't common in crime literature. Based on your recollections, was the research involved here or did the story stem from personal experiences? As someone who's lived in rural parts of the state, at least part of the story seems autobiographical.
Dennis: Indeed, the book delved more extensively into Bucks and Montgomery counties, areas close to where I grew up. In the 70s and 80s, Philadelphia-area biker gangs like the Pagans and the Warlocks were deeply immersed in the meth business, controlling P2P supplies and distribution. Biker crews would rent rural farmhouses to cook meth and later abandon them. I remember from my days in the ER in the early 80s, when a meth lab burned in upper Bucks county and we received calls in the middle of the night from people who had a friend severely burned when the lab exploded. We tried to urge them to bring the injured person to the ER or leave them somewhere an ambulance could find them. Sadly, the victim was later found dead. This tragic tale bubbled to the surface of my consciousness, eventually finding its way into Dope Thief. The characters in the book are found in any distressed area, whether rural or suburban, just like my peers in towns along the Delaware or in Warminster or Bristol, closer to Philadelphia.
Regarding Mare of Easttown, the real Easttown is a rural township near the Main Line, known for hosting a major annual horse show. The TV show has a resemblance to communities like Eddystone or Marcus Hook. Perhaps HBO didn't prefer Mare of Eddystone as much.
Scott: Dope Thief begins with two main characters, Ray and Manny, best friends and with criminal records, impersonating DEA agents to rob drug dealers. The operation is successful, but they soon make a big score against the wrong people, plunging them into a downward spiral of danger. The method used by Ray and Manny felt very authentic and had that ring that such illegal activities often possess. Was the modus operandi something you discovered during research or was it born from your imagination?
Dennis: The DEA tactic was predominantly crafted from real-life accounts and modified to fit my story. Basically, the characters and the criminal underworld in which they operate must seem plausible andFP stayed true to their real-life counterparts.
Scott: After the novel's release, several years passed, and two more novels from you followed: The Wolves of Fairmont Park in 2010 and The Poor Boy's Game in 2014. Both novels revolve around the crime scene in Philadelphia. Let's delve into your perspective on your career as a writer at the time. With a day job and multiple novels under your belt, how did you envision your career evolving?
Dennis: When the book was first published, I experienced a mix of excitement and apprehension. "What will the reaction be? Will it sell well? What will people whose reading judgment I respect think?" These questions swirled in my mind anxiously. The novel was generally well-received within the crime community but remained unknown to most others. It dawned on me that the true reward for most authors comes from joining an incredible fraternity of writers.
Scott: Following the publication of your debut novel, several more years elapsed, and your work was optioned multiple times. Naturally, this didn't always result in significant progress toward actual production, but it did bring a monetary boost for authors with day jobs. With two more novels out by you, The Wolves of Fairmont Park in 2010 and The Poor Boy's Game in 2014, I'm curious to know about your thoughts at that point regarding the trajectory of your writing career.
Dennis: Thanks to my incredible agent, Brooke Ehrlich, Dope Thief was optioned on several occasions. However, these outcomes typically don't lead to concrete progress. During that time, I couldn't help but harbor hopes that someday, I'd see one of my novels brought to the big screen.
Scott: So, how did Dope Thief end up being adapted into a series for Apple TV+, which was a series of years following the book's initial publication?
Dennis: My agent arranged a meeting with Apple execs who were looking for a crime project for Peter Craig. She provided them with the Dope Thief manuscript, which was a remarkable move for a 12-year-old book. Peter had been a crime novelist in his early career and had a mutual connection with me through acquaintances. It was an amazing coincidence that back in 2003, my wife had taken a picture of my novel The Poor Boy's Game on display at BookPeople in Austin with the caption, "If you like this, you'll also enjoy Peter Craig's Blood Father." I had read Craig's book, so I was confident he had a thorough understanding of the characters I wrote about, making him the perfect candidate to turn my book into a TV show.
Scott: As production started, there was a waiting period, followed by the Writer's Guild strike, which temporarily halted filming. Despite the delays, the series eventually continued filming and premiered on Apple TV+ in March 2025. The response was overwhelmingly positive, with praise for the exceptional actor performances, particularly Brian Tyree Henry as one of the leads and Walter Moura in the other lead role.
Overall, the adaptation of Tafoya's novel into a riveting crime series required skilled collaboration among creative minds while preserving the essence of the source material.
Dennis Tafoya was captivated by crime movies and books during the process of writing Dope Thief in 2009, drawing inspiration from authors like Elmore Leonard and Lawrence Block, as well as films such as To Live and Die in LA and Drugstore Cowboy. This crime fiction and movies-and-tv entertainment influenced the development of his novel.
As the adaptation of Dope Thief transitioned from the novel to the Apple TV+ series, Tafoya appreciated the collaboration from creatives in the entertainment industry, noting that the exceptional performances from actors like Brian Tyree Henry and Walter Goggins brought his characters to life on screen, making it a thrilling exploration for crime fiction enthusiasts.
