Exclusive Interview
‘Beautiful Bastard’ Authors Christina Lauren Spill New Details on TV Show Adaptation
What To Know
- The bestselling romance novel Beautiful Bastard by Christina Lauren is being adapted into a TV series.
- The authors are cowriting the script alongside Ozark creator Bill Dubuque.
- The show will focus on the steamy relationship between an ambitious intern and her demanding boss.
A Beautiful Bastard adaptation has been a long time coming. Christina Lauren’s hit romance, which began as a 2009 Twilight fanfiction before it was reworked into a multi-book series, is being turned into a TV show. Authors Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings are penning the script alongside Bill Dubuque, known for creating Netflix’s Ozark and His & Hers.
Beautiful Bastard follows the fiery forbidden relationship between a junior executive and her boss. “[Dubuque] is not shying away from the sex and the romance at all,” Hobbs told Swooon on April 19 at BookCon. “He’s like, ‘I want this thing to be the sexiest thing on TV. The thing is, Chloe and Bennett are kind of cartoon characters in a way. They’re just so much fun to write because they’re just flying by the seat of their pants. And for him to see that and really embrace it has been so delightful.”
Keep reading for all of the Beautiful Bastard updates Christina Lauren shared at BookCon, including where the show is in the production process and how book-accurate it’ll be.
What is Beautiful Bastard‘s premiere date?
Though Variety reported that Fifth Season got the rights to Beautiful Bastard in February 2026, it hasn’t landed at a streaming service or network yet.
It’s not the first time Beautiful Bastard has been optioned for an adaptation, either. Constantin Film acquired movie rights in 2013. “It’s a really interesting process right now, because that one actually got optioned before it even was published,” Billings told Swooon. “And so we’ve had one group get a script almost ready to green light, and then we got the rights back, and then we had another group kind of get it there, and then we got it back. So we’ve seen it in so many different iterations.”
But the authors have already started discussions with Dubuque, their “brilliant” new screenwriting partner. “Every time we have a Zoom with him, or we go through a draft, it’s like a masterclass in how to write for TV,” Billings said. “So for us, when we first went in, it was kind of hard to see it as something new again, because we’d seen it as the book and then two different adaptations, and then we’ve had conversations about what it could be in a different way, and he’s coming in with fresh eyes, but also the experience of writing for TV, and so it’s just been really revelatory to work with him, and we’re super excited.”
She continued, “We’re gonna regroup in May and go over the pilot, and we’ll see if we’re gonna take it and pitch it. We have a really great draft. We both really love it. So, yeah, just fingers crossed, because it’s been really fun.”
What is Beautiful Bastard about?
In the first installment of nine novels and novellas, readers meet Chloe Mills, an ambitious MBA student and intern at a media company. Her demanding boss, Bennett Ryan, has recently returned from France to Chicago to help run his family’s business. He typically avoids blurring the lines between personal and professional, but he didn’t expect the assistant who had been helping him from abroad to be as alluring as she is.
Per the show’s official description, Chloe “challenges him at every turn and refuses to be intimidated by his power. Their chemistry is instant and combustible, blurring the line between rivalry and desire as every argument crackles with temptation. As ambition collides with attraction, Chloe and Bennett must decide how much they’re willing to risk for a connection that refuses to stay professional.”
The authors think readers will be very happy with the show’s level of book accuracy. “We know that books and series and films are very different things, and that what the important thing in adaptation is kind of capturing the like heart and soul of the story,” Billings told Swooon. “It doesn’t have to be like beat for beat, but [Dubuque] is very clear that he wants it to be a faithful adaptation, and he wants all of those sort of iconic scenes to make their way into the series.” (The authors’ most-anticipated adaptation scene? “The conference room,” they answered with no hesitation.)
“[Dubuque] wants what he fell in love with when he read it,” Hobbs confirmed.
Beautiful Bastard, TBA
