Now Streaming: 'Tiny Pretty Things'

Assemble, balletomanes—Netflix’s latest YA adaptation is Tiny Pretty Things, a 10-episode, dark dance drama with a December 14 release date. The series is based on the 2015 HarperTeen duology opener of the same name by Sona Charaipotra (Symptoms of a Heartbreak) and Dhonielle Clayton (The Belles), co-founders of diverse book packager CAKE Literary. Shiny Broken Pieces concluded the duology in 2016.

After someone pushes Cassie Shore (Anna Maiche) from the roof of the Archer School, Chicago’s premier ballet academy, talented Black newcomer Neveah Stroyer (Kylie Jefferson) is given Cassie’s spot. Californian transplant Stroyer is determined to rise to the top—but there are other dancers eager to fill the now-empty prima ballerina’s slippers, including Bette Whitlaw (Casimere Jollette), a wealthy white legacy dancer attempting to escape the shadow of her sister Delia (Tory Trowbridge), and June Park (Daniela Norman), a reserved student trying to prove to her strict businesswoman mother that she belongs in the world of ballet. Meanwhile, Madame Monique Dubois (Lauren Holly), former prima herself, rules over the school as director. The ensemble cast also includes Brennan Clost, Michael Hsu Rosen, Damon J. Gillespie, Bayardo De Murguia, Barton Cowperthwaite, and Jess Salgueiro.

Inspired by the Joffrey Ballet and its feeder academy, writer, showrunner, and executive producer Michael MacLennan (The Bletchley Circle: San Francisco) relocated the narrative from New York City to Chicago, though principal shooting took place in Toronto. Insurrection Media CEO Kiliaen Van Rensselaer, head of development Jordanna Fraiberg, and head of business operations Deborah Henderson serve as executive producers as well, alongside Gary Fleder, director of the first episode; Carrie Mudd, president of Peacock Alley; and Gabrielle Neimand, current v-p of scripted programming for Fremantle and former head of television and digital content at Mojo Films.

Charaipotra and Clayton, who met while pursuing MFAs in creative writing at the New School, “bonded over pepperoni pizza while trading pages of our work,” they recalled in a conversation with PW. “One day, Dhonielle mentioned that she wanted to write about the time she’d spent teaching English and as a resident advisor at a really esteemed professional ballet school,” Charaipotra said of the book’s origins. “We both danced as kids, so I was really excited to hear about her experiences.” The duo also took inspiration from “the mystery element of Pretty Little Liars,” as Charaipotra, a journalist, had been interviewing the cast at the time.

When asked about the adaptation process, the pair called the experience “an amazing rollercoaster ride,” comparing it to “watching little fragments of your imagination get up and walk around, fully come to life.” They enthusiastically relayed how they were able to visit the set and meet the cast and crew, but emphasized that the show is an edgier “translation of the book and thus remixed in lots of interesting ways." The cast has expanded to include additional characters, they explained, and “new diversity” has been added to both the cast and storylines. “The adaptation is its own entity, one that lives and breathes on its own, separate from the books, though it definitely captures the essence,” Clayton and Charaipotra said. “We’re as much along for the ride here as those who love the books. We did get a sneak peek, though, so we can say that it’s going to be a wild journey!”

“Seeing the trailer was such a surreal and fantastic experience,” HarperTeen editor Alice Jerman, who worked on the duology, told PW. “I’ve been a huge fan of the Tiny Pretty Things books from the very beginning, and I’m really looking forward to seeing the characters and story come to life in an entirely new way. I’m thrilled for Sona and Dhonielle and will probably be talking about this show—and them—with anyone who will listen!”

Clayton and Charaipotra, meanwhile, are already talking about their next collaborative YA thriller, which hits shelves in winter 2022. “It’s Gossip (2000) meets One of Us Is Lying—or should we say, all of us are lying!—in Rumor Game (Disney-Hyperion),” the writing team shared. “It’s a politically driven thriller that tackles contemporary themes, including racism, body issues, bullying, and sexual assault, set at a posh private school for the children of D.C.’s elite.”