Rebecca Yarros’s emotional standalone novel, In the Likely Event, is heading to Netflix, as it was officially announced that the novel is being adapted into a movie!
The story, already beloved on page, centers on an unexpected romance forged during tragedy and threaded through grief, resilience, and hope. Now, it’s poised to land in living rooms everywhere, as Yarros joins forces with Netflix to bring her tale of survival and love to the screen.
Rebecca Yarros is easily one of the most talked-about authors in romance and romantasy. Her breakout fantasy saga, The Empyrean series, beginning with Fourth Wing, sent dragon-riding women into bestseller charts and BookTok threads alike. But Yarros didn’t stop there: she returned to her contemporary-romance roots with In The Likely Event, proving again that she can make readers cry and cheer in equal measure.
Raised in a military family and now a military wife herself, the author brings emotional authenticity and grit to her storytelling. With over twenty novels under her belt, from romance to fantasy, she writes with a keen sense of character, loyalty, and heart.
In the Likely Event hit shelves in 2023 and immediately grabbed attention. In just its opening pages, a chance meeting on a doomed plane crash invites readers into a story of healing across time. Izzy and Nate’s journeys—into politics and the military, respectively—unfold with raw emotion and sweeping life events. It’s the kind of love story that doesn’t rely on magic; it relies on the human heart.
Fans connected with its realism, depth, and memory-soaked romance, and Netflix took notice. In late 2024, it was confirmed that In the Likely Event movie adaptation will be developed by Netflix and Dylan Clark Productions, with Lindsey Ferrentino writing the screenplay and the author serving in an executive producer role.
With Fourth Wing TV series in the works, and a movie adaptation of The Things We Leave Unfinished announced, Rebecca Yarros is revealing herself as a formidable screenwriter’s dream!
What will be the Plot of In The Likely Event Movie?
The story of ‘In The Likely Event’ is a profoundly human romance grounded in reality, rather than fantasy, and it explores how love can flourish amid hardship and ongoing self-discovery.
The novel opens with a life-changing moment, with Izzy and Nate, strangers at the start, who find themselves seatmates on a flight that crashes into the Missouri River. This near-death experience binds them, and their fates entwine as Izzy pursues a career in politics and Nate enters the military.
Years later, their paths cross again during the Afghanistan war, when Nate is assigned as Izzy’s protector. Their relationship evolves not from instant chemistry but from shared scars, emotional honesty, and second chances.
If you haven’t yet read the book, check out its official synopsis to know what to expect from the novel and the upcoming movie adaptation:
When Izzy Astor gets on a plane to go home, she isn’t expecting much. It’s the usual holiday travel experience: busy, crowded, stressful.
Then she spots her seatmate, who is anything but ordinary. Nate Phelan sports dark hair, blue eyes, and a deliciously rugged charm that Izzy can’t resist. Their connection is undeniable. Izzy never believed in destiny before, but she does now.
Just ninety seconds after takeoff, their plane goes down in the Missouri River.
Their lives change. They change. Nate goes on to a career in the military while Izzy finds her way into politics. Despite a few chance encounters over the years, the timing never feels right.
Then comes a high-stakes reunion in Afghanistan, where Nate is tasked with protecting Izzy’s life.
He’ll do anything to keep her safe. And everything to win her heart.
Casting & Production Updates:
Netflix officially acquired In the Likely Event in October 2024, marking the start of development for a feature-film adaptation.
Screenwriter Lindsey Ferrentino is penning the screenplay, while Dylan Clark Productions will oversee production. Rebecca Yarros herself is coming on board as executive producer, ensuring the adaptation remains emotionally faithful to the novel.
As of now, no cast members have been revealed. Fans are eager to see who will bring Izzy and Nate to life, two characters whose lives span trauma, growth, and rekindled romance. Yarros has promised that casting will reflect thoughtful, emotionally resonant choices.
In the Likely Event Movie Release Date:
Currently, there is no release date for the movie adaptation as Netflix has not yet disclosed it. With the scripting process underway and production likely still in its very early phases, the best estimate would be a 2027 release, assuming the production proceeds smoothly.
Fans should stay connected via Netflix announcements and Rebecca Yarros’s social channels for updates on filming, casting, and previews.
Should You Read the Book Instead?
If you haven’t read the novel yet, then you shouldn’t waste a single moment and read it right now. It is so worth it!
Rebecca Yarros’s prose is warm, vivid, and heartbreakingly honest. Reading the novel first means you’ll experience Nate and Izzy’s emotional voyage in a way that’s fully immersive.
If you loved the author’s Fourth Wing books and thought that she writes romantasy really well, then please pick up her contemporary romance novel, and you’ll really feel just how good an author Rebecca Yarros really is!
If you love romances grounded in emotional reality, trauma, and redemption, not just fantasy tropes, this book delivers. And once the In The Likely Event movie is released, watching it will be even richer, as you’ll catch subtle plot beats, character nuances, and the emotional core that Yarros wrote so beautifully.
Upcoming Book Adaptations: