Netflix adapts Curtis Sittenfeld’s YA novel Prep

Netflix is building out its young adult slate with an adaptation of Curtis Sittenfeld’s two-decade-old coming-of-age novel Prep.

The series is from Nicole Taylor, who has been behind shows including BBC drama Three Girls and Netflix’s One Day.

She is attached as writer, showrunner and EP on the series, with Will Ferrell, Jessica Elbaum and Alix Taylor onboard for Gloria Sanchez Productions. Sittenfeld also exec produces.

Prep follows the life of a scholarship girl’s high school years at a prestigious New England boarding school, tracking how she navigates friendship, crushes and class among her privileged, confident classmates.

Taylor said: “Prep is my all time favourite novel and I have longed to adapt it for the entire 20 years since I first read it and found myself reflected uncannily back.

“There is no more acute depiction of the introspective, bookish self-conscious adolescent girl and no more truthful or excoriating take on the perils of social mobility than in Curtis Sittenfeld’s beautiful first novel. I am overjoyed to be adapting for Netflix.”

Sittenfeld added: “Alix Taylor at Gloria Sanchez has guided the project forward with such intelligence and enthusiasm, and Nicole Taylor’s scripts are truly brilliant. Nicole’s adaptation makes me understand my own novel, and myself, better. My 51-year-old self can’t wait to see what they do with this story of privilege, longing, and teen angst.”

Prep joins a raft of YA series at Netflix, ranging from Outer Banks, Ginny & Georgia, Crew Girl and On My Block, to Never Have I Ever, Minimum Wage, and A Different World.

The streamer has also been expanding its book-to-screen adaptations, with shows such as Finding Her Edge, My Life With the Walter Boys, and upcoming series The Sticks, The Body, Poser, and Sid & Zoey.

Netflix added that its YA titles - which it classes as shows such as Stranger Things and Wednesday - had generated over 10.4bn global views since H1 2023.