Apple Is Turning Rebecca Serle’s Upcoming Romance Novel ‘Once And Again’ Into a Film with Liz Tigelaar as the Adaptor
Apple Original Films Acquires Adaptation Rights for Rebecca Serle’s Upcoming Novel
Apple Original Films has secured the rights to adapt Once and Again, a new romance novel by New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Serle. The film project is currently in its early development stages.
Liz Tigelaar, known for her work on popular adaptations such as Tiny Beautiful Things and Little Fires Everywhere, is set to handle the adaptation.
The film will be produced by Lee Eisenberg and Natalie Sandy from Piece of Work Entertainment, known for projects like Lessons in Chemistry and WeCrashed, under their overall deal with Apple. Rebecca Serle and David Stone from TFC will also serve as producers.
Once and Again marks Serle’s fourth collaboration with Atria Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, and is slated for release on March 10.
Described as a cross between The Time Traveler’s Wife and The Lakehouse, the novel follows Lauren Novak, a Malibu native who leaves the beach for what seems like a perfect marriage in Los Angeles. However, as her relationship begins to unravel and her husband takes a summer job in New York, Lauren finds herself returning to her coastal hometown. There, she must face not only family dynamics but also a long-held family secret: the women of the Novak lineage can, just once, turn back time.
Unexpectedly, Lauren reconnects with her first love, Stone, who once broke her heart. As she revisits her past, Lauren and Stone must navigate their complex relationship, raising questions about choices, timing, and the possibility of rewriting their shared history.
Interestingly, although Tigelaar shares a name with an earlier ABC series called Once and Again, the two projects are unrelated.
Serle, having sold millions of copies internationally, is a sought-after author in Hollywood. She has previously arranged adaptations of her bestselling works In Five Years, One Italian Summer, and Expiration Dates. In Five Years is associated with New Line, while One Italian Summer is in collaboration with Paramount. Her latest bestseller, Expiration Dates, has been set up at Amazon with Emma Roberts attached to star.
Gaining prominence with her 2018 novel The Dinner List, Serle has also adapted her YA series Famous in Love into a Freeform series and has seen her novel When You Were Mine transformed into the film Rosaline for 20th/Hulu. She is represented by WME, TFC’s Stone, and Jeff Hynick at Jackoway Austen.
Liz Tigelaar, an Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated creator and showrunner, is recognized for her work on two Emmy-nominated limited series for Hulu: Tiny Beautiful Things and Little Fires Everywhere. Her recent credits also include the FX/Hulu series Under the Bridge, featuring Lily Gladstone and Riley Keough.
Recently, Tigelaar entered a groundbreaking overall deal with both Paramount TV Studios and CBS Studios through her production banner, Best Day Ever Productions. Her film projects include adaptations of the bestselling novels The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and The Cactus. She is represented by UTA and Wendy Kirk at Johnson Shapiro Slewett & Kole.
