My Favorite YA Sci-Fi Book Is Finally Coming To Netflix (& I’m Completely Terrified)

After a very long wait, Netflix’s adaptation of the YA sci-fi book Uglies is finally on the way, and I’m just as terrified as I am excited. The film is based on the series of books by author Scott Westerfeld, which were initially released between 2005 and 2007. A screen adaptation has been highly requested ever since YA readers got their hands on the Uglies series, so the news that Netflix was finally making it happen was well-received. Filming wrapped back in 2021, but Netflix has been frustratingly quiet about the dystopian sci-fi project since. However, we finally have an official release date.

The story in Uglies follows Tally Youngblood, a 15-year-old who lives in a dystopian future in which all citizens undergo a surgery that makes them impossibly beautiful when they turn 16. Of course, in traditional sci-fi fashion, everything isn’t as it seems, and rather than becoming “Pretty” like everyone else, Tally gets swept up in a political mess. Tally’s story continued into several sequels, including Pretties, Specials, and Extras, as well as a spinoff book series, Imposters, which further explores this sci-fi world. It was my favorite YA book series back in the day, and I’m eager to see Tally brought to the screen.

Netflix Finally Gave Uglies An Official Release Date

Uglies Will Stream On September 13, 2024

While we knew Uglies was supposed to be released sometime in 2024, there had been almost no updates for the first half of the year, which had me concerned that the project had hit some delays. Joey King, who plays Tally Youngblood and served as an executive producer, announced that filming had wrapped in 2021. Of course, such a movie would require a hefty amount of CGI, so I knew we would have a bit of a wait. However, it seems this wait is nearly over since author Scott Westerfeld announced on Twitter that Uglies finally has an official release date—September 13, 2024.

The Longer I’ve Waited, The More Worried I Am About The Uglies Movie

The Uglies Movie Has Been In Development Hell Since 2006

Netflix’s Uglies movie was first announced in 2020, but I’ve been waiting for a screen adaptation for much longer than just this. 20th Century Fox bought the film rights for Westerfeld’s sci-fi series back in 2006, and there have been various promises of a film adaptation ever since then. My copy of the Uglies book even has the “soon to be a major motion picture” stamp on the cover, which I have looked at bitterly for nearly 20 years now. Something always seemed to fall through when it came to getting this story on a screen, and the lack of updates on Netflix’s Uglies movie had be quaking.

While an official release date allowed me to sigh a breath of relief, it wasn’t long before the anxiety set back in. After all these years of waiting, I am terrified that Uglies won’t live up to the book series I know and love. I admit, I’m glad that the film was made in the 2020s rather than in 2006 since bringing the heavily surged characters of Uglies to life will require technology that Hollywood only recently mastered. However, I’m concerned that this will be another case of a wonderfully complex literary world condensed into a stand-alone film that simply doesn’t cut it.

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I Don’t Know How Uglies Could Work As A Stand-Alone Movie

I’m Worried Netflix Has Already Ruined Uglies

Westerfeld’s YA sci-fi series is now technically comprised of eight books. The original series included Uglies, Pretties, Special, and Extras, but the author has since continued the story with Imposters (2018), Shatter City (2019), Mirror‘s Edge (2021), and Youngbloods (2022). The newer novels follow a new protagonist and are set decades after the initial Uglies books, so I wouldn’t expect this story to be included in Netflix’s Uglies movies. Still, it’s inconceivable that even the first three books in Westerfel’s sci-fi series could be covered by only one movie.

Netflix has said nothing about sequels, so we can only assume that Uglies will be the only movie. This means that either the contents of the first book will be altered to work as a stand-alone film, or the events of the sequels will be condensed and squeezed into Uglies. Neither is preferred. I would have been thrilled to see a TV series based on Westerfeld’s books, but I would have settled for a movie trilogy. Of course, I can still cross my fingers that sequel films will be on the way. But, given the development hell that was Netflix’s single Uglies movie, I may just have to be happy with what we get.

Uglies (2024)

Based on the novel of the same name, Uglies is a sci-fi drama series released on Netflix in 2024. The series follows a young woman named Tally Youngblood who must face difficult choices in a world where turning sixteen means undergoing a mandatory operation that erases physical differences between people.

Cast

Joey King , Keith Powers , Brianne Tju , Chase Stokes , laverne cox

Seasons

1

Franchise(s)

Uglies

Writers

Jacob Forman , Vanessa Taylor , Whit Anderson

Directors

McG

Main Genre

Sci-Fi

Creator(s)

Scott Westerfeld

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