This Bestselling 2023 Novel Is Being Turned Into A TV Series

Author R. F. Kuang is perhaps best known for her fantasy novels – including Babel and The Poppy War trilogy – but her first foray into literary fiction caused quite the stir. Yellowface is described by the author as ‘a horror story about loneliness in a fiercely competitive industry’, centring on a white author named June who steals the draft novel of her Asian American college friend Athena. And now Lionsgate has scooped up the rights and is ready to adapt the novel into a TV series. Here’s everything we know so far.

Yellowface TV Adaptation: News, Cast Rumours & More

It’s official: Lionsgate TV is transforming R. F. Kuang’s 2023 novel Yellowface into a miniseries. Karyn Kusama is attached to the project, set to both direct and executive produce; she’s best known for her work on Yellowjackets (2021), for which she received an Emmy nomination, as well as Jennifer’s Body (2009) and Girlfight (2000). She will be joined by producers Constance Wu (Crazy Rich Asians, Hustlers) and Justine Suzanne Jones, with Ben Smith also executive producing. A writer for the series is yet to be announced.

What Is Yellowface About?

Yellowface centres on June Hayward, an author who is struggling to land a hit novel. June was supposed to be a twin rising star with her college friend Athena Liu, an Asian-American novelist moving from strength to strength in the publishing world. June can’t help her resentment. So when Athena dies in a sudden freak accident, June acts on impulse and snags her just-finished manuscript – an experimental masterpiece chronicling the unsung contributions of Chinese labourers during WWI. She’ll just edit the novel, June tells herself. But then she sends it to her editor, who loves it. Newly styled as Juniper Song, thus begins June’s skyrocketing career – but how long can she keep up the ruse?

The Cast

No news just yet on who will star in the Yellowface TV adaptation, but social media is rife with fan theories as to who would master the despicable character of June. Our favourite fan casts include Allison Williams, Mikey Maddison, Aubrey Plaza and Bryce Dallas Howard.

Constance Wu is on board to produce the series, but she may well also star, perhaps as Athena.

Are More R. F. Kuang Adaptations In The Works?

Back in late 2020, Deadline revealed Kuang’s first novel, The Poppy War, along with its sequels would be adapted for the screen – but progress on that front seems to have halted. Kuang’s 2022 novel, Babel, is another buzzy title, while she is also working on a sixth, seventh and eighth novel, all of which have been acquired by HarperCollins. The sixth, titled Katabasis, follows two magical PhD students who travel to hell ‘to rescue the souls of their advisers so that they can write their job recommendation letters’. Kuang has called the novel ‘nonsense literature’ and shared it began ‘as this cute, silly adventure novel about like, “haha, academia is hell”.’ But when she was writing it, she realised, ‘Oh no, academia is hell’.

Details are scant on her seventh and eighth books, but HarperCollins has said one is a historical novel and the other is fantasy.