Disney has acquired the film rights to Divine Rivals, the bestselling fantasy-romance novel by Rebecca Ross, after the rights previously held by Paramount Pictures expired. The move gives the popular BookTok title another opportunity to reach the big screen, with Disney developing a new adaptation from scratch and seeking a screenwriter. Original producers Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Pouya Shahbazian remain attached, while Ross will serve as an executive producer alongside Stephen Shafer. Allison Erlikhman, Disney’s senior vice president of production, will oversee the project.
The change in ownership follows a period of uncertainty for the planned adaptation. In June 2025, Paramount Pictures secured the rights after a competitive bidding process involving multiple studios. Sofia Alvarez, known for writing To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, was attached to write the screenplay. However, the project did not progress under Paramount, and the rights eventually lapsed following the studio’s merger with Skydance, which became official in August 2025. Disney has now acquired the property, but the previous screenplay and creative development will not carry forward.
Disney is approaching Divine Rivals as a fresh adaptation rather than continuing with Paramount’s version. The studio is looking for a new screenwriter to shape the story for the big screen, replacing Alvarez, who was previously attached to the project. No cast members or director have been announced, and the film does not yet have a confirmed release date.
The producers, however, remain unchanged. Di Bonaventura and Shahbazian will continue developing the film, providing continuity despite the change in studio. Ross will also be involved as an executive producer alongside Shafer, while Erlikhman will oversee the adaptation for Disney. The next major step is finding a writer who can translate the novel’s appeal into a cinematic story while preserving the elements that have resonated with readers.
Published in April 2023, Divine Rivals is the first instalment in Ross’s Letters of Enchantment series. The story follows Iris Winnow, a young journalist dealing with a family crisis as a war between gods unfolds around her. While writing letters to her missing brother, Iris discovers that her messages are mysteriously reaching Roman Kitt, her rival at the newspaper. Their anonymous correspondence gradually develops into a romance even as the conflict around them grows increasingly dangerous.
The novel combines romantic tension, magic and the stakes of a wartime fantasy. Iris and Roman’s relationship begins through letters, allowing their connection to develop through intimate exchanges before the story expands into a larger conflict involving the gods. For a film adaptation, the premise offers an opportunity to balance the personal relationship at its centre with a visually expansive fantasy setting. The challenge will be retaining the emotional intimacy of the correspondence while translating the novel’s broader mythology and conflict to the screen.
Divine Rivals arrives at Disney with an established readership. The novel has sold more than one million copies and spent 104 weeks on The New York Times Young Adult Bestseller List, according to the figures cited in the project’s reporting. Its popularity has also been amplified by BookTok, the book-focused community on TikTok, where reader recommendations have helped introduce the story to a wider audience.
That readership gives Disney a recognised literary property at the development stage. The combination of fantasy, romance, rivalry and a supernatural war provides a foundation for an adaptation that could appeal to existing fans as well as viewers discovering the story for the first time. However, a strong literary following does not guarantee a successful film, and the eventual outcome will depend on the screenplay, casting, direction and production approach.
The change in studio also means that the adaptation must begin a new phase of creative development. With no screenwriter, director, cast or release date announced, the project remains in its early stages. Disney’s acquisition secures a new opportunity for the novel to move towards the screen, but the timetable for production is not yet clear.
For now, Divine Rivals has a new studio home, its original producers and author still involved, and a fresh screenplay ahead. The next stage will depend on the creative team Disney assembles and how it approaches the novel’s blend of romance, rivalry, magic and a war between gods.
