After decades of feverishly begging for an adaptation of the erotic romance novel Beautiful Bastard by Christina Lauren, our prayers have been answered. We are finally getting a chance to see the “combustible” chemistry of Bennett Ryan and Chloe Mills on our screen.
On February 19, 2026, it was announced that the production company Fifth Season acquired the rights to the book series.
In 2013, Constantin Film, another production company, attempted to adapt the story into a feature film, but the effort was unsuccessful, leaving many disappointed.
Fingers crossed that everything goes well this time because we have been dying for this office romance to come to life on our screen.
Beautiful Bastard was released back in 2013 by the original authors, Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings (who write under the pen name Christina Lauren). It quickly achieved significant success by tapping into the erotic romance trend sparked by Fifty Shades of Grey.
A fun fact about the novel is that the story originated as popular Twilight fanfiction titled The Office, garnering over 2 million reads online before being adapted for commercial publication.
Within a short time, the book’s popularity spread globally, with the series translated into more than 30 languages, cementing the authors’ stature as international bestsellers.
And now that it is getting a TV adaptation, it’s only going to get more popular. So, let’s see what we know about the upcoming TV series based on the novel!
What Will Be The Plot of the Beautiful Bastard TV Series?
The TV series will revolve around the intense office romance between a dashing yet arrogant CEO and his smart, intelligent, and stunningly beautiful assistant.
You see, Bennett has just returned to Chicago to take over his family business. He anticipated the typical daily work-related dramas a CEO would encounter. However, nothing prepared him for his conflicting attraction to his assistant, Chloe Mills.
The problem is, she finds him arrogant, admittedly sexy, but extremely annoying. She hates his guts!
If you haven’t yet read this bestselling erotic romance novel, you are missing out. Here is the official synopsis for the first book in the series:
An ambitious intern. A perfectionist executive. And a whole lot of name calling.
Whip-smart, hardworking, and on her way to an MBA, Chloe Mills has only one problem: her boss, Bennett Ryan. He’s exacting, blunt, inconsiderate—and completely irresistible. A Beautiful Bastard.
Bennett has returned to Chicago from France to take a vital role in his family’s massive media business. He never expected that the assistant who’d been helping him from abroad was the gorgeous, innocently provocative—completely infuriating—creature he now has to see every day. Despite the rumors, he’s never been one for a workplace hookup. But Chloe’s so tempting, he’s willing to bend the rules—or outright smash them—if it means he can have her, all over the office.
As their appetites for one another increase to a breaking point, Bennett and Chloe must decide exactly what they’re willing to lose in order to win each other.
Casting & Production Updates:
It was announced that Christina Lauren, the author of the novel, will also write the script for the upcoming adaptation.
Bill Dubuque, known for his work on Ozark and The Accountant, will supervise the project and serve as a producer, alongside Kristen Campo.
There is currently no confirmed cast, as it will be a while before the project moves out of the early development phase.
Fans are already buzzing with ideas of who they want to play the lead roles. We will let you know when the casting announcement is finalised.
Beautiful Bastard TV Series Release Date:
The most realistic timeline for this TV series to premiere is 2028, if things go smoothly.
Normally, it takes 12–18 months from script finalisation to filming and post-production. And that is when the process goes smoothly, and the production doesn’t hit any roadblocks.
If the production doesn’t face any issues, and the cast members are announced, we can anticipate the shooting to begin by the end of the year.
However, that’s only speculation on my part, since the TV adaptation was just announced, so there is literally no information at the moment.
So, we’ll have to wait and see when the Beautiful Bastard TV series adaptation will be released!
Upcoming Book Adaptations: