More than 30 years after she made her debut, Weetzie Bat is finally headed to the screen.
Writer and producer Sera Gamble will adapt Francesca Lia Block’s 1989 punk-rock young adult novel, Weetzie Bat, as a series, Variety reports.
Block’s book, now considered a contemporary classic of young adult literature, follows the title character and her best friend as they navigate their lives in a magical version of 1980s Hollywood.
In a starred review, a critic for Kirkus praised the novel, writing, “Artful wordplay, wonderfully controlled use of the language of pop culture, and a story that seems about nothing much—but is, in fact, about very important things—make this a sad, happy, funny, and touching book.…[These characters] are a lot more real than Ken and Barbie, and their loyalty and love—even under the tragic long shadow of the love-borne disease [of AIDS]—are a triumph.”
The book spawned several sequels, including Witch Baby, Cherokee Bat and the Goat Guys, and Necklace of Kisses.
Gamble (Supernatural, You) will write the show and executive produce alongside Greg Silverman (Ready Player One), Paul Shapiro (The Magicians), Hope Rieser Farley (Needle in a Timestack), and Vince Gerardis (Game of Thrones).
Gamble shared news of the adaptation on Instagram, writing, “Magic IS real, and it IS hiding in plain sight in the city of Los Angeles, and I first discovered that reading #WeetzieBat. Honored to get to play in this wild and gorgeous world, @francescaliablock.”
Michael Schaub is a Texas-based journalist and regular contributor to NPR.
