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Netflix Orders YA Drama ‘Prep’ Based on Curtis Sittenfeld Novel From Nicole Taylor
Developing story first seen 2 hours ago
The new coverage adds strong endorsements from both Curtis Sittenfeld and adapter Nicole Taylor, who say they are delighted with Netflix’s series order for Prep. Taylor describes the novel as a sharp portrayal of an introspective adolescent and the challenges of social mobility, while Sittenfeld says the scripts have helped her see the book, and herself, differently.
The coming-of-age drama follows scholarship student Lee Fiora through high school at Ault, a prestigious New England boarding school, as she navigates friendship, crushes and class among wealthy classmates. Taylor will adapt the novel and serve as showrunner and executive producer; Sittenfeld and Will Ferrell, Jessica Elbaum and Alix Taylor of Gloria Sanchez Productions will also executive produce. Taylor created Netflix’s 2024 series One Day.
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In short
- Netflix has ordered a series based on Curtis Sittenfeld’s Prep.
- Nicole Taylor will adapt the novel and lead the show.
- Sittenfeld praises Taylor’s scripts and their fresh take on the book.
How this story developed
- 55 minutes ago Netflix has ordered Prep as a drama series based on Curtis Sittenfeld’s novel, bringing its story of adolescence and social class to television.
- 60 minutes ago The new coverage adds strong endorsements from both Curtis Sittenfeld and adapter Nicole Taylor, who say they are delighted with Netflix’s series order for Prep.
Full account
Netflix has ordered Prep straight to series, adapting Curtis Sittenfeld’s 2005 novel for television. The coming-of-age drama follows Lee Fiora, a scholarship student from Indiana who attends Ault, an elite boarding school in Massachusetts. There, she tries to find her footing among classmates whose confidence and privilege mark her as an outsider, while navigating friendships, romantic interests and questions of social class.
Nicole Taylor will write the adaptation and act as showrunner and executive producer. Will Ferrell, Jessica Elbaum and Alix Taylor will executive produce for Gloria Sanchez Productions, with Sittenfeld also serving as an executive producer. The reports describe the novel as both a bestseller and a work that won critical acclaim.
Taylor said the book had stayed with her since she first read it around two decades ago, and praised its portrayal of an inward-looking adolescent girl and the pressures surrounding social mobility. Sittenfeld welcomed the series order, praised Taylor’s scripts and said the adaptation had given her a fresh understanding of her novel. She also referred to the long wait for the project and its themes of privilege, longing and teenage angst.
Taylor’s recent work includes Netflix’s 2024 series One Day, which she created, as well as Three Girls, Dracula and The White Queen; she also wrote the feature The Wild Rose. Gloria Sanchez has previously produced several Netflix projects, including Dead to Me and No Good Deed. One report adds that Prep may be the first screen adaptation of a Sittenfeld novel to reach production, while another focuses on the production company’s ongoing relationship with Netflix.
Where outlets differ
From the full account, which is AI-written from the sources:
One report gives more detail about the story’s official description, including Lee’s friendships and crushes, and highlights Taylor’s and Sittenfeld’s comments. The other specifies Lee’s Indiana background and Ault’s location in Massachusetts, and notes the novel’s publication date and critical reception.
The second report places the order in the context of Netflix’s young adult slate and says Prep appears to be the first Sittenfeld novel adaptation to reach the screen. It also mentions development efforts for adaptations of Romantic Comedy and Rodham. The first instead gives more detail on Taylor’s career and Gloria Sanchez’s Netflix credits.
The sources differ slightly in describing the wait: Taylor says she had wanted to adapt the novel for twenty years, while Sittenfeld calls it a 22-year wait. The reports do not explain the discrepancy.
Explained simply
Prep is a coming-of-age novel by American writer Curtis Sittenfeld, published in 2005. It follows Lee Fiora, a teenager from a less wealthy background who wins a scholarship to attend Ault, an elite boarding school in New England.
The story explores how Lee navigates friendships, romance and the differences between her circumstances and those of many of her classmates. Its setting brings questions of social class and belonging into the everyday experience of school life.
Nicole Taylor, who created the television series One Day, is adapting the novel for television. Sittenfeld is also involved as an executive producer, alongside producers including Will Ferrell and Jessica Elbaum.
Coverage · 2 sources
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