David Iacono and ‘Percy Jackson’ star set to lead in Netflix’s ‘Better Than the Movies’ book adaption
Netflix is moving forward with its screen adaptation of Lynn Painter’s ‘Better Than the Movies’ following a casting search that drew passionate online fan campaigns. The film will bring the bestselling YA romance and its central neighbors-to-lovers story to the platform, with two actors who were already widely associated with the roles by fans before the official announcement. Beatrice Kitsos will play Liz Buxbaum, while David Iacono will portray Wes Bennett.
Kitsos is known for appearing in ‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians,’ ‘Are You Afraid of the Dark?’ and ‘iZombie,’ as well as the horror film ‘It Lives Inside.’ Iacono has built a resume that includes ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty,’ ‘Jurassic World Rebirth,’ ‘The Flight Attendant,’ ‘Grand Army,’ and ‘Fear Street: Prom Queen.’ According to Netflix's Tudum, BookTok users had been circulating fan edits and casting reels imagining Iacono as Wes long before Netflix officially announced the adaptation. Kitsos also drew attention from readers after posting on Instagram that she would love the opportunity to audition for the role of Liz, in response to fan suggestions.
‘Better Than the Movies’ centers on high school senior Liz, whose lifelong obsession with romantic comedies shapes her approach to love and relationships. Netflix’s official description teases, “Liz’s obsession with the genre proves very helpful when she schemes with her annoying but cute next-door neighbor to get the attention of her untouchable crush.” The story leans into familiar rom-com tropes, including a fake relationship, enemies-to-lovers tension, and a boy-next-door dynamic. Netflix has not yet announced a production start date or release window for the film.
The project is based on Painter’s 2021 novel, published by Simon & Schuster, which Netflix has described as a No. 1 New York Times bestseller. Tudum reports that the book has spent 44 months on the New York Times monthly YA paperback list and 20 weeks on the weekly YA hardcover list, reflecting its sustained popularity among young adult readers. The casting news follows years of online discussion, particularly on TikTok, where fans frequently debated ideal actors for Liz and Wes. Another of Painter’s novels, ‘Fake Skating,’ is also in development as a film at Sony.
Julia Hart is set to direct ‘Better Than the Movies’ and co-wrote the screenplay with Jordan Horowitz and Heather Flanders. Horowitz is producing for Original Headquarters alongside Shauna Phelan and Melanie Krauss. The film marks the second collaboration between Netflix and Original Headquarters following ‘Don’t Say Good Luck,’ which is also directed by Hart and stars Sunny Sandler.
At this stage, Netflix has only confirmed Kitsos and Iacono in the lead roles, with additional casting still under wraps. However, the lead casting closely mirrors long-running fan discussions online about who should play Wes and Liz.
