Variety is reporting that Warner Bros. has acquired the film adaptation rights to Tahereh Mafi’s YA series Shatter Me.
Details about the deal are sparse at this time. For instance, it’s assumed that WB intends to adapt the series into multiple movies, though the scope of this arrangement may be based on the success of the initial project. Given that there is little information available about that initial project, though (including its intended release date, cast, and crew), we’re really just grasping at straws in terms of what form this deal will take.
What we do know is that Shatter Me has the potential to be quite a hit for Warner Bros. and whoever the studio’s eventual parent company may be. The series follows a teenage girl who learns that she possesses a deadly touch. Committed to an asylum after accidentally murdering a child, she soon meets a young man who identifies the potential of her incredible ability and alters the course of her life.
Though an adaptation of Shatter Me was reportedly in the works ahead of the book’s 2011 debut, this new deal certainly speaks to the incredible longevity of the series. Partially bolstered by its BookTok following, the Shatter Me stories have not only outlived many of the other YA dystopian narratives of the 2010s but have become phenomena in their own right. In a statement, Mafi acknowledged the books’ longevity and the long road to this eventual adaptation.
“I’ve been tremendously lucky to have a devoted fanbase over the last fifteen years, and I’m excited for the chance to bring the Shatter Me world and characters to life in a way that will honor the fans and their love for these books,” the author said. “Warner Bros. has been a great partner so far, and I’m looking forward to creating a memorable cinematic experience that elevates the series to new heights.”
While you’re waiting for this adaptation (or just more news about it), consider checking out the Shatter Me spin-off series, The New Republic, which includes Watch Me, Release Me, and the upcoming Escape Me, which is set to be released in September.
