Ali Hazelwood’s ‘Deep End’ heads to Netflix with Shawn Levy and Alex Cooper producing

Netflix is adapting Ali Hazelwood’s bestselling romance novel Deep End with Shawn Levy and Alex Cooper producing

Netflix has begun development on a feature film adaptation of Ali Hazelwood’s bestselling romance novel Deep End, bringing together producers Shawn Levy, Alex Cooper and major entertainment companies for the upcoming project.

The streaming platform secured the rights to Deep End before the novel’s publication in a major deal. Written by Hazelwood, the book was released in 2025 and quickly became a No. 1 New York Times bestseller. The story follows a college romance between a competitive diver and an elite swimmer as they navigate attraction, ambition and a complicated relationship.

Screenwriter Laura Kosann has been hired to adapt the novel for the film, with Shawn Levy and Dan Levine producing through 21 Laps. Alex Cooper and Matt Kaplan will produce through Unwell Productions, while Hazelwood will serve as an executive producer.

Since its release, Deep End has been licensed in 21 territories and has sold nearly 1.5 million copies worldwide, highlighting the growing popularity of New Adult romance stories.

The adaptation continues Netflix’s focus on BookTok-driven romance projects, following the success of titles based on bestselling novels. The streamer previously found success with People We Meet on Vacation, which saw renewed book sales after its Netflix release.

Deep End marks another adaptation of Hazelwood’s work, following The Love Hypothesis, which is also being developed for the screen. The author, a former neuroscience researcher who became a full-time writer in 2022, has sold more than 10 million copies of her books globally.

The project also expands Unwell Productions’ move into scripted entertainment after building a reputation through podcast and documentary projects, including Call Her Daddy content.