Netflix commissions 20-year wait for Curtis Sittenfeld's 'Prep' adaptation

Netflix has ordered a full series adaptation of Curtis Sittenfeld's 2005 novel, ending a two-decade wait for the story to reach a streaming audience.

The project will be a young adult drama centered on Lee Fiora. The narrative follows Fiora, a scholarship student, as she attends Ault, a prestigious boarding school in New England. Her experience contrasts her background with the privileged and confident classmates surrounding her. The series will examine themes of friendship, romance, and social class.

Nicole Taylor, known for her work on One Day, has been appointed as showrunner, executive producer, and writer. Sittenfeld and Will Ferrell also serve as executive producers. Taylor described the book as her all-time favorite novel. She stated she has longed to adapt it for twenty years and found her own reflection in the character of the introspective, bookish adolescent girl.

Sittenfeld expressed satisfaction with the decision to greenlight the show. She noted that the 22-year wait was worth it and called Taylor's scripts truly brilliant. The author said the adaptation helps her understand her own novel and herself better. She added that her 51-year-old self is eager to see how the team handles the story of privilege, longing, and teen angst.