Harry Potter fan-fiction novel by non-binary author SenLinYu lands seven-figure film deal
Alchemised, a dark romantasy novel, will be published in the UK by Del Rey on 23 September - but Hollywood has already beaten readers to it
By Callum Wells
A Harry Potter fan-fiction novel by non-binary writer SenLinYu has been snapped up in a seven-figure film deal, before it even hits shelves.
Alchemised, a dark romantasy novel, will be published in the UK by Del Rey on 23 September – but Hollywood has already beaten readers to it. Legendary Entertainment, the studio behind The Dark Knight, 300 and Inception, purchased the screen rights for more than $3 million (£2.21m), one of the highest prices ever paid for book-to-movie rights.
SenLinYu told The Hollywood Reporter: “I’m honoured by Legendary’s incredible enthusiasm for the project and can’t wait to see the world of Paladia come to life.”
The enemies-to-lovers tale has earned over 100,000 five-star reviews on GoodReads
The author first gained attention in the Harry Potter fan community, becoming known for their ‘Dramione’ stories exploring a romance between Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy. Their breakout published work, Manacled, imagined a world where Harry Potter is dead, Hermione is enslaved, and Draco is an executioner. The enemies-to-lovers tale has earned over 100,000 five-star reviews on GoodReads.
“In this riveting dark fantasy debut, a woman with missing memories fights to survive a war-torn world of necromancy and alchemy – and the man tasked with unearthing the deepest secrets of her past,” reads the official synopsis.
“In the aftermath of a long war, Paladia’s new ruling class of corrupt guild families and depraved necromancers – whose vile, undead creatures helped bring about their victory – holds Helena captive.
Hype is already high, with 750,000 copies printed ahead of release
“Trapped on his crumbling estate, Helena’s fight – to protect her lost history and to preserve the last remaining shreds of her former self – is just beginning. For her prison and captor have secrets of their own, secrets Helena must unearth, whatever the cost.”
Hype is already high, with 750,000 copies printed ahead of release, with translations in 21 languages. The book has been described as “epic and engrossing” and is already listed among must-reads for the year.
SenLinYu joins a growing list of authors whose fan fiction has made the leap to Hollywood. E. L. James’ Fifty Shades of Grey, which began as Twilight fanfic, remains the most famous example, while rom-coms The Idea of You and Red, White & Royal Blue also started life online.