After Paramount’s rights lapse, Disney officially steals romantasy franchise Divine Rivals and seeks a new screenwriter
Disney secures the book rights
Deadline reports that Disney has officially acquired the rights to Divine Rivals, Rebecca Ross’s romance-fantasy novel. Paramount had previously secured the rights in a bidding war in June 2025, but they lapsed while Paramount was merging with SkyDance.
The move adds a popular book property to Disney’s slate as the company continues developing original stories across genres. Disney’s portfolio already includes Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar and classic Disney Animation.
A successful duology
Divine Rivals was published in April 2023 and followed by Ruthless Vows in December of that year. The two books make up Ross’s Letters of Enchantment duology. The first novel has sold over one million copies and attracted a strong online following, particularly on BookTok.
Screenwriter search begins
Sofia Alvarez, who adapted Netflix’s To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, had been attached to write the screenplay when Paramount held the rights. Her commitment ended after the rights lapsed. Disney is now looking for another writer to adapt the book.
Key points
- Disney acquired Divine Rivals rights after Paramount’s lapsed during its merger with SkyDance.
- Paramount had won the rights in a bidding war in June 2025.
- The novel has sold more than one million copies and gained a strong BookTok following.
- Disney is seeking a new screenwriter after Sofia Alvarez’s attachment ended.