Better Than the Movies

Better Than the Movies is a feature film adaptation of Lynn Painter's bestselling young adult novel, now in development at Netflix with Julia Hart attached to direct. Hart is co-writing the screenplay with her husband and creative partner Jordan Horowitz, along with writer Heather Flanders. The project reunites the team behind Netflix's upcoming Don't Say Good Luck, with Horowitz and Shauna Phelan producing through their company Original Headquarters. The story follows Liz Buxbaum, a rom-com-obsessed high schooler who teams up with her next-door neighbor Wes Bennett to catch the attention of her childhood crush. Painter's novel spent over 40 months on the New York Times bestseller list and celebrates its fifth anniversary in 2026. No casting has been announced, and production timelines have not yet been revealed.