Book To Screen
You’ll Love ‘Butcher & Blackbird’ Someday: All About the Dark Romance Adaptation
If BookTok has taught us one thing, it’s that serial killers are to 2025 as vampires were to 2005.
On June 27, Variety announced that Brynne Weaver’s groundbreaking dark romance, Butcher & Blackbird, had been picked up for a movie adaptation by Lyrical Media and Ryder Picture Company, helmed by The Lego Batman Movie director Chris McKay.
Per the logline of the movie, “Butcher and Blackbird follows two competing killers who target other serial killers as they attempt to one-up each other. As their unlikely bond grows into something deeper, they start to wonder if a future together could ever be possible.”
For anyone who hasn’t picked up Weaver’s Ruinous Love trilogy and wants to get a head start on their next book-to-screen obsession, be warned, Butcher & Blackbird comes with its fair share of content and trigger warnings. From “accidental cannibalism” to “lobotomized man servant,” this dark romance is not for the faint of heart, and we’d wager to guess the adaptation won’t be either.
Scroll to find out more about Butcher & Blackbird, including casting updates, the release date, and more!
What is the status of the Butcher & Blackbird movie?
The Butcher & Blackbird movie is currently in pre-production. On June 17, author Brynne Weaver posted a photo of the completed Butcher & Blackbird script written by Laura Kosann. The caption reads: “We are SO EXCITED for the next steps and we can’t wait to take you on this journey with us! Here’s to our amazing team of @chrismckay_director @ryderpicturecompany @lyricalmedia and @lkosann.”
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The Butcher & Blackbird movie is being produced by Ryder Picture Company’s Aaron Ryder, Andrew Swett, and Alexander Black, the team behind the upcoming film The Death of Robin Hood, which A24 recently bought. Let’s just say, we’d have very high hopes for the Butcher & Blackbird adaptation if we knew it was also going to get the A24 treatment.
Does Butcher & Blackbird have a release date?
No, at this time, Butcher & Blackbird does not have a set release date. Given the film is currently in the pre-production stage, we’d expect to see it hit theaters and/or streaming platforms in late 2026 or early 2027.
Who has been cast in the Butcher & Blackbird movie?
No cast members have been announced for the Butcher & Blackbird movie yet. However, Ryder Picture Company’s most recent film, The Death of Robin Hood, features Hugh Jackman (Deadpool & Wolverine) and Jodie Comer (Killing Eve), so we’re hopeful that when the cast is announced, it will feature some big names.
Many fan casts for the lead roles of Sloane and Rowan have been circulating on Reddit, TikTok, and myCast. Some of the top names include Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Nosferatu), Robert Sheehan (The Umbrella Academy), and Paul Mescal (Normal People) as Rowan, and Florence Pugh (Thunderbolts*), Sophie Thatcher (Yellowjackets), and Adelaide Kane (Reign) as Sloane. Beyond the main characters in the first book, some of the best fan casts we have seen include Noah Centineo (To All the Boys I Love Before) as Lobotomy David (that one made us laugh out loud), and Tom Holland (Spider-Man: Homecoming) as Fionn.
Here at Swooon, we love a dream cast, so you already know we have something cooking for Butcher & Blackbird. Our official Ruinous Love dream cast is coming very soon!
What is Butcher & Blackbird about?
The first book of Weaver’s Ruinous Love trilogy, Butcher & Blackbird, is a dark rom-com following the love story of two serial killers. With a shared love of killing the evil-hearted, Sloane Sutherland and Rowan Kane embark on a yearly competition to track down and slaughter a new anonymous killer, becoming best friends along the way.
The catch? Rowan is convinced that Sloane will love him someday, and Sloane can’t help but think he is 100% right. Somewhere between terrifying, sexy, and absolutely hilarious, Butcher & Blackbird redefines the romance genre.
Be sure to bookmark this page and check back here for updates on the Butcher & Blackbird movie! Meanwhile, comment below with who you want to see as Sloane and Rowan in the film!
Butcher & Blackbird, In Theaters, TBA
