‘The Favorites’ Skates to Netflix: Everything We Know About Layne Fargo’s Book Adaptation
Move over, Catherine and Heathcliff. It’s time to let Katarina “Kat” Shaw and Heath Rocha take center stage. Layne Fargo’s The Favorites altered our brain chemistry when she released her ice dancing romantic drama in 2025.
The Wuthering Heights retelling leaves the moors behind for the ice rink as Kat and Heath emerge from their troubled childhoods looking to win gold. On March 24, Deadline reported that The Favorites would be getting a Netflix movie adaptation.
Swooon has been cheering on The Favorites since its release, so this is a gold medal moment for us. We’re breaking down all the latest updates on The Favorites movie, from what Fargo has said about the adaptation, the cast, and more.
What is The Favorites about?
Kat and Heath are the perfect storm of love and obsession à la Catherine and Heathcliff. After a complicated childhood, Kat has her eye on ice dancing glory — and Heath is happy to follow Kat to wherever she wants to go. Over the years, Kat and Heath’s relationship is tested by betrayals, injuries, and secrets.
A shocking incident at the Olympic Games ends their ice dancing partnership, and questions about what really happened fester for years. Before the 10th anniversary of Kat and Heath’s last skate, a new documentary surfaces. After a decade of remaining silent, Kat is finally ready to reveal the truth.
When Swooon spoke to Fargo, she was open to a collaborative process when it comes to adapting her book for the screen. “I think the most important thing is just to stay true to who the characters are, but it’s a different medium,” she said. “One of the things I’ve discussed with the company that optioned it is expanding on some of the other characters that we don’t get to see scenes with them because it’s all from Kat’s point of view. Heath and Bella, we never get to see them alone together. I would be really interested to see what that’s like.”
Who has been cast in The Favorites?
No one has officially been cast in The Favorites adaptation, but that hasn’t stopped Fargo from dream-casting.
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“I think a lot about Molly Gordon, who’s on The Bear, and then Brandon Perea,” the author previously told Swooon. “I keep sharing this fact about him. He used to compete as a jam skater, which is like break dancing plus roller skating, so I feel like that translates to he could learn to ice dance. For Bella, my number one would be Havana Rose Liu. She’s in Bottoms. She has that cool girl kind of, yes, I want to be her friend, but you’re a little scared of her. I think she’d be a great Bella. For Sheila, when I was writing it, I was picturing Ming-Na Wen. Lucy Liu has been mentioned.”
When Fargo shared the adaptation news on Instagram, Perea commented, “CONGRATS LAYNE!! HUGE!!! Will keep my blades sharpened 👀 🤞🏽🙏🏽🫶🏽.” Give the people what they want — cast Brandon Perea as Heath Rocha!
When it comes to behind the camera, The Idea of You producer Cathy Schulman is producing the movie for Welle Entertainment. Kate Gersten, who penned The Last Showgirl, is writing the script.
When is The Favorites coming out?
Since The Favorites is still in development, there’s no way to predict a release date. If the movie winds up on the fast track (ice dramas are having a moment), the earliest we’d see it on Netflix would be in 2027. Until we get a production date, we won’t be able to make a solid guess. Stay tuned as we find out more!
The Favorites, Movie Premiere, TBA, Netflix
