EXCLUSIVE: In its further commitment to original franchise IP, Disney Live Action has acquired the rights to Rebecca Ross‘ fantasy romance, Divine Rivals.
Paramount previously won rights to the novel back in June 2025 after a bidding war with To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before scribe Sofia Alvarez adapting. The project was in development before Skydance’s acquisition of Paramount, which became official in August 2025. The rights to Divine Rivals lapsed, and Disney swooped in to acquire them. A new screenwriter is being tapped given that the previous development wasn’t inherited by Disney, however, the project’s original producers, and Pouya Shahbazian, remain fully aboard. Ross will executive produce with Stephen Shafer.
The first book in the Letters of Enchantment Series arrived April 2023 followed by its sequel, Ruthless Vows, in December the same year. In Divine Rivals, two rival journalists find love through a magical connection. They must face the depths of hell, in a war among gods, to seal their fate forever. Since its publications, Divine Rivals sold 1M+ copies and spent 104 weeks on the NYT Young Adult Bestseller List. Ruthless Vows, debuted at No. 1 on the NYT Young Adult Bestseller List in January 2024 and has spent 42 weeks on the list, selling 500K+ copies. The book has also developed a significant following on TikTok, particularly within the BookTok community.
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Disney SVP of Production Allison Erlikhman is overseeing the project, reporting to Disney Live Action President Daria Cercek. Clare Reeth and Emily Dayton are credited with facilitating the original book rights deal for Disney Live Action, with Katherine Curtis at New Leaf Literary & Media, Inc. brokering the deal on behalf of Ross.
New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling author Ross has written multiple duologies, including Letters of Enchantment, Elements of Cadence, and The Queen’s Rising as well as standalone novels Wild Reverence, Dreams Lie Beneath, and Sisters of Sword & Song. The author has sold 3M copies worldwide, spent 128 weeks on the NYT bestseller list, has 250M views on TikTok, and is a Goodreads Choice Awards winner. Her works have been translated into 27 languages. Her next novel, A Bittersweet Spell, follows a magical antiquarian who is blackmailed into transcribing a cursed manuscript, and he must enlist the brilliant mage he once betrayed, forcing them to confront their shared past as they uncover the book’s secrets, and will hit store shelves on April 6, 2027.
Ross’ film rights are represented and handled by Katherine Curtis of New Leaf Literary & Media, Inc., and Steve Younger at Myman Greenspan. All other rights for Ross and Divine Rivals are represented by Suzie Townsend at New Leaf Literary & Media, Inc.
Di Bonaventura Pictures in its 23 year history has produced over 50 movies which have grossed over $7 billion at the global box office. The label is busy on reviving a new Transformers and G.I. Joe movie over at the Skydance owned Paramount.
