'Uglies' Movie Coming From Netflix, Directed By McG And Starring Joey King
It's been a while since a dystopian YA novel got itself a film adaptation, so here comes Uglies! McG is set to direct the film based on the Scott Westerfeld book set in a future where everyone is forced to have extreme cosmetic surgery when they reach the age of 16. Joey King is set to star in the movie, which is headed to Netflix. Uglies spawned three sequels: Pretties, Specials, and Extras, so there's a good chance Netflix wants to launch a franchise here.
Deadline says that Netflix is set to turn Uglies into a film directed by McG and starring Joey King. I'm not entirely sure why Netflix keeps throwing work at Mr. McG, but there are some mysteries we'll never solve, I guess. Published in 2005, Uglies is a dystopian YA story with elements that sound culled from other dystopian YA stories, with a little extreme plastic surgery thrown in for good measure:
Tally is about to turn sixteen, and she can't wait. In just a few weeks she'll have the operation that will turn her from a repellent ugly into a stunning pretty. And as a pretty, she'll be catapulted into a high-tech paradise where her only job is to have fun. But Tally's new friend Shay isn't sure she wants to become a pretty. When Shay runs away, Tally learns about a whole new side of the pretty world—and it isn't very pretty. The authorities offer Tally a choice: find her friend and turn her in, or never turn pretty at all. Tally's choice will change her world forever....
King will play Tall. Per Deadline, "Sources say King long has been a fan of the series and brought the series to Netflix –called them, got them to read the script and the book, and then King got Netflix to option it." The book also spawned sequels, so don't be surprised if Netflix turns this into a whole franchise. King and McG both have a history with the streaming service: King starred in Netflix's The Kissing Booth movies, while McG's last three titles – The Babysitter, The Rim of the World, and The Babysitter: Killer Queen – were all Netflix films.
A potential Uglies film has been knocking around for a few years now. 20th Century Fox and producer John Davis bought the rights to the book back in 2006, with hopes of releasing the film in 2011. That never happened, obviously. And at some point the rights lapsed, opening the door for Netflix to swoop in. Krista Vernoff, a writer on Grey's Anatomy, Shameless, and more, will tackle the screenplay.