Netflix Adapting 'The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo' Novel

From production updates to cast musings, everything we know so far about the highly anticipated movie.

Published on Feb. 25, 2026

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Netflix has acquired the rights to adapt Taylor Jenkins Reid's best-selling novel 'The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo' into a movie. The film will follow the story of aging Hollywood icon Evelyn Hugo, who chooses an unknown magazine reporter to write her biography and unspools the tale of her glamorous and scandalous life. Screenwriter and director Maggie Betts is set to helm the project, and author Reid is serving as an executive producer to ensure the adaptation reflects the #MeToo movement that emerged after the book's publication.

Why it matters

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo has become a phenomenon on BookTok and a New York Times best-seller, so the movie adaptation is highly anticipated by fans of the novel. The film also presents an opportunity to update the story to reflect the cultural shifts that have occurred since the book's release, particularly around issues of power and consent in Hollywood.

The details

The movie adaptation of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo will follow the basic plot of the novel, which centers on Evelyn Hugo, an aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon, choosing an unknown magazine reporter named Monique Grant to write her biography. As Evelyn tells her story, from making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the '80s and the seven husbands along the way, Monique begins to feel a connection to the legendary star. However, it becomes clear that Evelyn's life intersects with Monique's own in tragic and irreversible ways.

  • In May 2025, author Taylor Jenkins Reid gave an update on the movie's progress, saying 'Everyone is working incredibly hard to get this movie made, and everyone knows that there is a lot of pressure to get it exactly right.'
  • Netflix acquired the rights to adapt The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo in 2022.

The players

Taylor Jenkins Reid

The author of the novel 'The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo' and an executive producer on the movie adaptation.

Maggie Betts

The screenwriter and film director set to direct the movie adaptation of 'The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo'.

Evelyn Hugo

The aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon at the center of the story, who chooses an unknown magazine reporter to write her biography.

Monique Grant

The unknown magazine reporter chosen by Evelyn Hugo to write her biography.

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What they’re saying

“Everyone is working incredibly hard to get this movie made, and everyone knows that there is a lot of pressure to get it exactly right. We're all hard at work. We're taking it very seriously, and I give Netflix so much credit because they have such an immense respect for the readership of that book. They want to make them happy.”

— Taylor Jenkins Reid, Author and Executive Producer (Associated Press)

What’s next

The director and cast for the movie adaptation of 'The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo' have not yet been announced, but fans are eagerly awaiting more updates from Netflix on the project's progress.

The takeaway

The adaptation of 'The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo' presents an exciting opportunity to bring this beloved novel to the screen while also updating the story to reflect the cultural shifts that have occurred since its publication, particularly around issues of power and consent in Hollywood.