The Love of My Afterlife, one of summer’s buzziest book titles, is getting a movie adaptation from Wayfarer Studios. The studio is the same production company behind the successful adaptation of Colleen Hoover‘s high-selling novel, It Ends With Us. The smash hit is blazing through box office records, and naturally, the production company is looking to repeat the feat with a feature film adaptation of the USA Today best-selling novel, The Love of My Afterlife written by Kirsty Greenwood.
The book was only published this year, but it quickly became a national bestseller, appearing on the “Best Of” lists from many renowned publications, including Elle, Entertainment Weekly, Reader’s Digest, and more. Additionally, The Love of My Afterlife was the GMA Book Club pick for July and generated significant buzz among book lovers all summer long. Compared to It Ends With Us, The Love of My Afterlife has a more fun and lighthearted narrative. Greenwood says her inspiration came from “the high concept rom-com movies of the 90s and 2000s.”
The book tells the story of a recently deceased woman named Daphne who, upon transiting into the afterlife, meets the love of her life, Jonah. In a rare stroke of fortune, Jonah returns to Earth and Daphne also gets a second chance at life to find Mr Right, but there’s a catch. She is given only 10 days to get a kiss with Jonah, after which she’ll be sent back to the afterlife with the hopes of ever finding love dashed forever.
Racing against time, Daphne recruits her neighbor, Cooper, a ladies’ man, to help with the task. This sets her on a journey of self-discovery, where she must confront deep-seated fears, break life-long patterns, and learn to find a balance between trusting her instincts and asking for help. The Love of My Afterlife explores themes of loneliness and grief but doesn’t take itself too seriously as it is filled with many laugh-out-loud moments.
‘Love of My Afterlife’ Adaptation Is in Good Hands
The author, Kirsty Greenwood, is attached to the project as an executive producer, so fans can rest assured that the heart of the story will be successfully translated from page to screen. The studio has also tapped Vicky Jones, creator of HBO‘s Run, to write the screenplay. Jones is known for her frequent collaboration with Phoebe Waller-Bridge with whom she co-wrote the successful shows; Fleabag and Killing Eve. Justin Baldoni and Andrew Calof will produce for Wayfarer Studios alongside Paper Pictures‘ Carla Hacken.
In a statement addressing the adaptation, Greenwood said: “I’m overjoyed to be working with the thoughtful, dynamic team at Wayfarer and Paper Pictures to turn this novel into a movie of our own. The process so far has been a genuine dream come true; I’m so excited for all that’s to come.” Wayfarer’s President of Production & Development, Andrew Calof, added:
“Kirsty Greenwood’s ‘The Love of My Afterlife’ evokes equal measures of both humor and despair while taking readers on a daring journey of self-discovery. We are very excited to adapt this beautiful story about romance, grief, and second chances. Reflecting on the decisions we make and the possibility of choosing differently is something that we all think about.”
No actor has been attached to the project yet, but with development moving fast, the coming weeks could come bearing more updates. Stay tuned to Collider for more. You can still catch It Ends with Us in theaters now.
via Collider