Netflix Is Turning Curtis Sittenfeld’s Bestseller ‘Prep’ Into a Coming-Of-Age Series

Curtis Sittenfeld has become one of the most widely read novelists of her generation. Her books include ‘American Wife’, ‘Sisterland’, ‘Eligible’, ‘Rodham’ and ‘Romantic Comedy’, the last of which is being adapted into a film by New Line and Hello Sunshine.

It all started with her debut novel, ‘Prep’, published by Random House in January 2005. The book became a bestseller and remains a favorite among readers drawn to stories about class, ambition and adolescence.

Now that debut is getting the screen treatment. Netflix announced that ‘Prep’ is coming to the streamer as a new series, giving the story a straight-to-series order. Netflix describes the show as a coming-of-age series about a scholarship student at a prestigious New England boarding school as she deals with friendship, crushes, and classes. The student is Lee Fiora, and the school is the fictional Ault.

According to Deadline, the series will run in a half-hour format but isn’t a comedy. It was developed in-house at Netflix. The adaptation comes from Nicole Taylor, who serves as writer, showrunner and executive producer. Taylor is best known to Netflix viewers as the head writer and executive producer of the limited series ‘One Day’.

For Taylor, the project is personal. “‘Prep’ is my all-time favourite novel and I have longed to adapt it for the entire twenty years since I first read it,” she said in a statement shared with Deadline. She also described Sittenfeld’s book as a truthful and excoriating look at the perils of social mobility. Taylor added that she was overjoyed to be adapting it for Netflix.

PREP, an adaptation of the bestselling novel by Curtis Sittenfeld, is coming to Netflix. The coming-of-age series written by Nicole Taylor (2009’s ONE DAY) follows a scholarship student at a prestigious New England boarding school as she navigates friendship, crushes, and classes.

— Netflix (@netflix) November 3, 2026

Taylor’s résumé includes a BAFTA TV Award for the BBC series ‘Three Girls’. She also wrote the BBC miniseries ‘The Nest’ and the film ‘Wild Rose’, starring Jessie Buckley, which she has adapted into a stage production opening off-Broadway this month.

Will Ferrell, Jessica Elbaum and Alix Taylor are executive producing through Gloria Sanchez Productions. Sittenfeld is also on board as an executive producer. The author has shared her excitement too, saying she’s overjoyed that Netflix is bringing ‘Prep’ to television.

A writers’ room is scheduled to open in January. Netflix hasn’t announced any cast members, an episode count, or a release date yet. Casting the role of Lee will likely become one of the most closely watched parts of the project. The character’s journey through Ault forms the emotional core of the novel.

‘Prep’ joins a growing list of Sittenfeld adaptations in development. ‘Rodham’ was previously in development as a Hulu series, while ‘Romantic Comedy’ is being turned into a film.

The new series shows how much interest there is in bringing her work to the screen. With Taylor’s track record of thoughtful drama, ‘Prep’ could appeal to both longtime fans of the book and a new generation of viewers. For readers who grew up with the novel, seeing Ault come to life on Netflix will be a long-awaited treat.

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