BookTok phenomenon Ali Hazelwood's Deep End is becoming a Netflix film
Ali Hazelwood's novels continue to make the leap from bookshelves to streaming platforms.
According to an exclusive report from Deadline, Netflix is developing a feature film for Deep End. Shawn Levy's 21 Laps company and Alex Cooper's Unwell Productions will co-produce the project. The cast, director, and release date have not yet been announced.
It is reported that Netflix secured the rights to the novel with a high-profile deal before its release, and the film development process was advanced following the book's sales success.
A secret agreement that started at Stanford turns into romance
At the center of Deep End is Stanford University student and platform diver Scarlett Vandermeer.
As Scarlett tries to regain her form after an injury that nearly ended her career, she prepares for medical school. While trying to keep her life as controlled as possible, she crosses paths with Lukas Blomqvist, the star of the school's swim team.
Lukas is a swimmer competing at the world championship level, having built his career on discipline. A shared secret that emerges between the two transforms into a hidden agreement that initially shouldn't involve emotional ties.
As Olympic pressure mounts, the boundaries of this relationship begin to blur.
It remains unclear how much of the novel's more adult romantic side Netflix will preserve in the adaptation.
Deep End sold nearly 1.5 million copies
The source material in Netflix's hands is not just a small BookTok discovery.
Released in February 2025, Deep End debuted at number one on The New York Times' New Adult romance list. According to data shared after Deadline, the novel has sold approximately 1.5 million copies worldwide to date.
The book also remained on bestseller lists for an extended period in its initial months. According to Publishers Weekly data, Deep End entered the list at number two in February 2025, later rising to the top and maintaining its position for months.
Thus, Netflix is developing a project that already has an established readership, even before revealing who will play Scarlett and Lukas.
Ali Hazelwood's books are being shared across platforms
Deep End will not be Hazelwood's first screen adaptation.
The author's debut novel The Love Hypothesis has been turned into a film starring Lili Reinhart and Tom Bateman. The Prime Video production will be released worldwide on September 23, 2026.
Thus, Hazelwood's two major romance novels are now spread across two competing streaming companies:
The Love Hypothesis — Prime Video
Deep End — Netflix
This situation shows that Hazelwood has gained value not only as a bestselling romance author but also as an adaptable intellectual property source for streaming companies.
Alex Cooper is also entering the sports romance side
The producer partnership behind Deep End is also noteworthy.
Shawn Levy's 21 Laps company is known for major productions like Stranger Things, The Adam Project, and Free Guy. Recently, Levy has also been involved in high-profile projects like Deadpool & Wolverine and the upcoming Star Wars: Starfighter.
For Alex Cooper's Unwell Productions, Deep End will be one of its first major feature projects.
Moreover, this is not the only sports romance Unwell is developing for Netflix. The company is also adapting Hannah Grace's bestselling novel Icebreaker into a film for Netflix. That story centers around a figure skater and a hockey player who must share the same ice rink.
The preparation of both Deep End and Icebreaker by the same company for Netflix indicates that the sports world is becoming an increasingly prominent area for strong romantic novels with online reader communities.
Fans' first question is already clear: Who will play Scarlett and Lukas?
As soon as the adaptation news was announced, activity began in Hazelwood's reader community.
The first post in the Ali Hazelwood Reddit community garnered over 200 votes within a few hours, with comments expressing both excitement and a cautious approach regarding how the novel's relationship dynamics will be translated to film.
It is already clear that the casting choice for Scarlett and Lukas will be one of the first major tests for the film among the book's existing fanbase.
At this stage, Netflix is not providing an answer to this question.
The screenwriter, director, lead actors, shooting date, and release schedule for Deep End have not yet been announced. However, as another of Hazelwood's novels makes its way to the screen, the author's adaptation story is no longer tied to just one film: While Prime Video prepares The Love Hypothesis, Netflix is also adding Deep End to its romance catalog.
