THE APEX TIMES
Beatrice Kitsos and David Iacono to Star in Netflix YA Rom-Com ‘Better Than the Movies’
Deadline reports the streaming project based on Lynn Painter’s #1 New York Times bestselling BookTok phenomenon has cast Beatrice Kitsos and David Iacono in lead roles.
Netflix is developing a film adaptation of Lynn Painter’s YA rom-com phenomenon Better Than the Movies, and Deadline reports that Beatrice Kitsos and David Iacono have been cast in the lead roles.
Painter’s Better Than the Movies became a breakout after its 2021 release, reaching readers through BookTok fandom and landing on The New York Times’ bestseller list. The Netflix adaptation draws from that audience-driven popularity and the built-in fan-casting that emerged once the movie version began taking shape.
Deadline’s report names Kitsos, known for her role in Disney+’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians, as one of the film’s two leads. The outlet also reports that Iacono, recognized for appearing in Jurassic World Rebirth, will take the other lead role.
The casting announcements arrive as Netflix continues to develop young-skewing scripted projects tied to popular book properties, including titles that have already demonstrated engagement in online communities. In this case, the property’s pathway from print to social media attention is part of the context behind the adaptation’s momentum.
According to Deadline, the film is being positioned as a YA rom-com, a genre that typically relies on timing, character chemistry, and audience familiarity with the underlying story. The report frames the casting as the latest step for a project that has attracted fans since the title’s movie version began circulating.
While the report confirms the two lead roles, it does not provide additional details in the published package about production start dates, filming locations, or the size of the supporting cast. The next stages for the project are likely to include additional casting, production planning, and eventual confirmation of release timing by Netflix.
For fans of the 2021 book and for the broader audiences that followed the title’s online rise, the casting of Kitsos and Iacono provides the clearest development yet on how Netflix intends to translate the story to screen. Any further movement will depend on subsequent casting announcements and on Netflix’s scheduling as the adaptation advances through production.
Why It Matters
- The casting indicates Netflix’s approach to translating a BookTok-driven property into a mainstream streaming release, using performers with recognizable franchise visibility.
- As Better Than the Movies moves forward, additional casting and production updates will be required before audiences can assess how the adaptation will align with fan expectations.
- The project reflects ongoing demand in the streaming market for YA romance and teen-skewing material with an established readership and social media audience.
- Because the source material was a 2021 bestseller, the film’s development timeline and eventual release planning will affect when that readership’s momentum converts into a screen launch.
- Further announcements from Netflix are likely to clarify downstream impacts including supporting cast decisions, production commitments, and distribution timing.
Key Facts
- Deadline reports Beatrice Kitsos has been cast in a lead role in Netflix’s YA rom-com adaptation Better Than the Movies.
- Deadline reports David Iacono has been cast in the other lead role in the Netflix adaptation.
- The project adapts Lynn Painter’s Better Than the Movies, described as a #1 New York Times bestselling BookTok phenomenon.
- Deadline ties the title’s movie momentum to its 2021 release and the fan-casting that followed.
- Deadline notes Kitsos’ prior work on Percy Jackson and the Olympians.
- Deadline notes Iacono’s prior work on Jurassic World Rebirth.
- Deadline describes the casting as an exclusive report about the Netflix film’s lead roles.