Drawing inspiration from 'Wuthering Heights,' the novel by Layne Fargo follows the rise and fall of figure skaters Katarina Shaw and Heath Rocha
Credit: Cindy Ord/Getty; Random House
NEED TO KNOW
- Layne Fargo’s bestselling sports romance, The Favorites, is getting a Netflix feature adaptation
- Inspired by Wuthering Heights, the novel chronicles an “epic love story set in the sparking, savage sphere of elite figure skating, starring a woman determined to carve her own path on and off the ice”
- Oscar-winning producer Cathy Schulman and her Welle Entertainment banner are teaming up with Kate Gersten, who will be penning the script
Layne Fargo’s bestselling romance, The Favorites, is headed to Netflix!
Cathy Schulman, the Oscar-winning producer of The Idea of You and Crash, and Kate Gersten — writer of Gia Coppola’s The Last Showgirl — are teaming up to bring Fargo’s sports romance to life, according to Deadline.
Inspired by Wuthering Heights, the novel chronicles an “epic love story set in the sparking, savage sphere of elite figure skating, starring a woman determined to carve her own path on and off the ice,” according to the book’s official synopsis.
Katarina Shaw, an athlete who followed her dreams with no funding or support from her family, meets Heath Rocha, a lonely kid stuck in the foster care system, and the two spark an instant connection.
Credit: Random House
They go from childhood sweethearts to champion ice dancers — until an incident at the Olympic games suddenly rips them apart.
“As the ten-year anniversary of their final skate approaches, an unauthorized documentary reignites the public obsession with Shaw and Rocha, claiming to uncover the ‘real story’ through interviews with their closest friends and fiercest rivals,” the synopsis reads. “Kat wants nothing to do with the documentary, but she can’t stand the thought of someone else defining her legacy."
"So, after a decade of silence, she’s telling her story: from the childhood tragedies that created her all-consuming bond with Heath to the clash of desires that tore them apart," it continues.
Credit: Jamie McCarthy/Getty
In January 2025, Fargo told Variety that she wrote the novel, which is told through multiple storylines and perspectives, to express her longtime love for both figure skating competitions and Wuthering Heights.
“This was a book I wrote for myself about things I was obsessed with,” she said at the time, noting that she began her writing process with her sights set on two different books — a gothic romance and a thriller about ice dancers. “Neither one was working and I just kept bouncing back and forth. Finally, I had the idea to mash them together and make it a Wuthering Heights retelling… I’d been struggling for years, and then it was just like this magical process.”
Credit: Monica Schipper/Getty
She even went as far as hinting that she would jump at the opportunity to turn the novel, which was released in January 2025, into a TV adaptation. And, at the time, Fargo could already envision casting Brandon Perea as the ideal man to play Heath.
“I think he would be perfect,” she said of the Twisters actor. “He has a background in jam skating, which could translate on the ice.”
As for whether Fargo is open to making changes to Katarina’s story while adapting it for the upcoming Netflix film? She told Swooon in January 2025 that she would “definitely” do what’s needed to make it thrive in a different medium.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
“I think the most important thing is just to stay true to who the characters are,” 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 Kat’s point of view. Like, Heath and Bella, we never get to see them alone together. I would be really interested to see what that’s like.”
We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation.
Read the full article here
