History may not repeat itself, but it does sometimes rhyme. Once again, Hollywood is in the middle of an IP arms race to adapt popular book genres. In the 2000s, studios first searched for the next Harry Potter-like fantasy, then chased Twilight-style supernatural romances. For about five years, three to four dystopian young adult (YA) movies would attempt to cash in on The Hunger Games. Now, the emerging trend appears to be romance, particularly set in a fantasy world.
Amazon MGM recently cast Violet Sorrengail and Xaden Riorson in its television adaptation of the popular book Fourth Wing. Netflix acquired the rights to Callie Hart’s Quicksilver for a feature film, while Warner Bros. nabbed Tahereh Mafi’s bestselling dystopian YA series Shatter Me with the intentions of making a feature-length franchise. Now, Disney is joining in with its own romantic-fantasy property.
Deadline reports that the Disney Live Action division has acquired the rights to Rebecca Ross‘ fantasy romance, Divine Rivals. Paramount originally developed the film and acquired the rights in June 2025, before dropping the project. Disney is starting development over from scratch. However, producers Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Pouya Shahbazian still remain attached after working on the project for Paramount.
Published in 2023, Divine Rivals follows two rival journalists who find love through a magical connection against the backdrop of a divine war between ancient gods. Since its publication, Divine Rivals has sold over one million copies and spent 104 weeks on the NYT Young Adult Bestseller List. It was followed by a sequel, Ruthless Vows, which debuted at number 1 on the NYT Young Adult Bestseller List in January 2024 and spent 42 weeks on the list. Together, Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows make up the Letters of Enchantment series.
It is currently unknown if Disney intends for Divine Rivals to be a theatrically released title or a Disney+ exclusive. Following the success of YA series like Coven Academy and Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Divine Rivals feels like an ideal fit for the streaming platform. However, those projects are all notably shows, and Disney+ has recently pulled away from producing original films.
Although Disney still relies heavily on Star Wars and the MCU, even those brands have shown they aren’t always box-office guarantees. Disney has largely relied on its own IP back catalog to build its live-action film slate, with mixed results. After high-profile box office flops like Snow White, Haunted Mansion, Tron: Ares, and Moana, Divine Rivals might be exactly what Disney’s live-action slate needs to shake things up.
