The television adaptation of Adam Silvera’s #1 New York Times bestselling novel They Both Die at the End (TBDATE) has found a home at Netflix. Per Deadline, the streamer nabbed the series in a competitive situation with four other streamers and networks.
The series has had a bit of journey to get here, first being announced in 2019 with J.J. Abrams and HBO Max planning to adapt. However, the rights were eventually re-acquired last year by Entertainment One (eOne), with Drew Comins and Creative Engine on board to executive produce. Bridgerton‘s Chris Van Dusen will write the pilot episode and executive produce, with Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio (aka Bad Bunny) and Silvera executive producing. Jacqueline Sacerio oversees for eOne.
TBDATE follows Rufus and Mateo, two teens who receive a call from Death Cast telling them they are going to die that day. Thanks to an app called Last-Friend, they meet and set out to live their last day to the fullest. The book initially released in 2017 but began gaining massive traction near the end of 2020 after receiving more attention on BookTok. Since then, the book quickly hit and maintained the #1 spot on the NYT bestsellers list, the first book featuring queer Latine characters to do so.
At the end of 2022, Silvera released a TBDATE prequel novel, The First to Die at the End, set seven years prior to TBDATE when Death Cast first launches. It follows Orion and Valentino who meet mere minutes before the service goes live. As it does, one gets the call and the other doesn’t, and they must navigate a day full of firsts while one of them faces his last day.
They Both Die at the End does not yet have a projected release window. In the meantime, purchase a copy here, along with The First to Die at the End here. Stay tuned for updates as they become available.
