Amazon MGM acquires Lauren Asher’s 'Throttled' with Josh Heuston in the lead

Amazon MGM Studios has acquired worldwide rights to Throttled, a feature film adaptation of Lauren Asher’s bestselling motorsport romance novel.

The film will star Josh Heuston, known for his role in Prime Video’s romantic drama series Off Campus.

Throttled is the first book in Asher’s Dirty Air series. The story follows an ambitious young woman who joins her brother on the racing circuit, where she becomes involved in a forbidden romance with his teammate and fierce racing rival. Heuston will play the male lead in the high-stakes romance.

Nzingha Stewart is directing the Amazon MGM film from a screenplay by Melissa Osborne. Max Handelman and Elizabeth Banks of Brownstone Productions are producing alongside Jennifer Gibgot and Andrew Panay of Ethea Entertainment, as well as Garrett Grant. Brownstone’s Alison Small and Asher are executive producers.

Several members of the creative team have previously worked with Amazon MGM. Stewart earned Emmy, DGA and PGA Award nominations for her work on Prime Video’s Daisy Jones & the Six. Osborne previously wrote the screenplay for Prime Video’s My Fault: London, while Grant worked on the upcoming Prime Video film The Man With the Bag.

Asher has sold more than five million books worldwide, with the Dirty Air series translated into 14 languages.

Heuston recently starred as musician Justin Kohl in Off Campus, which attracted 36 million viewers worldwide during its first 12 days and became Prime Video’s third most-viewed debut season, behind The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and Fallout. The Australian actor has also appeared in Heartbreak High, Dune: Prophecy and the horror thriller Dangerous Animals.