AfterBridgertonandVirgin River,Netflixmight have found its next great romance series as it acquired the rights toTwisted Loveand its three sequels. Written by author Ana Huang,Twisted Lovehit bookshelves in 2021 and became an instant hit, spending 13 months on theNew York TimesBest Sellers list.Twisted Loveand its sequels have been particularly popular on BookTok, a subcategory of TikTok where fans share their love of books. Just like many high-profile BookTok hits, the adaptation rights forTwisted Lovebecame a must-have.
Varietyreports that Netflix is paying seven figures for the rights to Ana Huang’sTwistedseries of romance novels. The deal includes 2021’sTwisted Loveand its three sequels,Twisted Games,Twisted Hate, andTwisted Lies. The plan is to adapt the four novels into a Netflix Original streaming series. The project’s logline describes the book series as"a steamy new adult series that follows the lives of four best friends and their brooding love interests, riddled with dark secrets from their pasts, as they overcome the obstacles keeping them apart to fall in love."
Twisted Loveis the second major BookTok phenomenon that Netflix has acquired the rights to in the past few months, with the other being thefantasy romance seriesQuicksilver. BookTok has become a major influence on Hollywood studios, as the titles that have become big hits on TikTok have become prized intellectual property that many studios hope to be the next big thing. Amazon MGM is developingFourth Wing, the popular fantasy series that is number one on Amazon’s best seller list and spent 18 weeks as the number one title onThe New York TimesBest Seller list.
New Adult Fiction Might be the Next Gold Rush
Books likeTwisted Love,Quicksilver,Fourth Wing, and theworks of Colleen Hooverare part of the booming New Adult fiction genre. An evolution of the Young Adult genre, the New Adult genre’s audience is the grown-up version of those who read books likeHarry Potter,Twilight, andThe Hunger Gamesin the 2000s. New Adult fiction typically deals with more nuanced topics that come with growing up, with popular topics being sexuality, gender identity, romance, and finding one’s career. Though the genre is somewhat broad, many of the titles have exploded in popularity and developed a massive following.
9 Most Anticipated ‘BookTok’ Book-to-Screen Adaptations (& Why We’re Excited)
BookTok refers to the book community on TikTok, which is sometimes key in helping a book reach high popularity (and even earn a screen adaptation).
At a time when it is difficult to find Blu-rays in stores like Target or Walmart, the number of books, particularly New Adult fiction, has increased. While much attention is devoted to the superhero movie genre and whether video game movies will become the next big trend, many overlook the studios seemingly stockpiling rights to popular books that have become TikTok sensations and could usher in a new era. The box office success ofIt Ends With Usshows a ravenous market for this type of story.Twisted Lovecould become the next big Netflix sensation in just a few years.
