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UK Production company Shakespeare Sisters has acquired film rights to YA novel The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli (PRH Children's).
The deal was made with Holly Root of Root Literary and UTA, via scouting firm Best Seller to Box Office. The film will be written and directed by Hillary and Anna-Elizabeth Shakespeare, with Albertalli on board as executive producer.
The synopsis for the book, which was published by Penguin Random House Children's UK in 2017, explains: "Awkward 17-year-old Molly has had 26 crushes and exactly zero kisses. She’s sure love confessions can only go one way for fat girls: utter humiliation. Now that her twin Cassie is swept up in her first romance, Molly has never felt more alone. Finding a place in Cassie’s new world feels impossible, especially with her adorable co-worker Reid making things more confusing."
The Shakespeare Sisters commented: "We instantly identified with Molly and Cassie and the push pull relationship between the sisters. Becky explores the loneliness of being left behind for a romantic relationship so delicately and sympathetically, which creates a really interesting avenue for a rom com while at the same time providing us with all the fun, nostalgia and anything’s-possible feeling of first love."
Albertalli said: "The Upside of Unrequited is so close to my heart, and I'm so happy and grateful this adaptation is in the hands of filmmakers who so deeply understand the complexity of love, longing, friendship and sisterhood. The Shakespeare Sisters are masters of earnest, funny, heartfelt coming of age stories that never shy away from the beautiful messiness of love in all its forms. I can't wait for my readers to fall in love with Molly in a whole new format, 27 times over."
Albertalli’s debut Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda (Penguin, 2015) was adapted by 20th Century Fox into the film "Love, Simon", and made history as the first mainstream gay teen romance studio movie.