Sony Pictures and Will Gluck's Olive Bridge Entertainment have set Josh Boone — director of the beloved 2014 YA adaptation The Fault in Our Stars — to helm a feature film based on Lynn Painter's Fake Skating, with a July 16, 2027 theatrical release date locked in. As reported by Deadline, the project marks the first of Painter's bestselling novels to make the jump to the screen, an announcement the author shared across her own social media accounts.
According to The Wrap, Sony and Columbia Pictures are behind the theatrical release, with Boone confirmed as director. Deadline's separate announcement adds that sources close to the project confirmed Boone's attachment and the studio's backing through Olive Bridge, the production company Will Gluck built on the back of family and YA hits.
The deal was announced in July 2026.
What Is Fake Skating — and Why Did It Land a Major Studio Deal?
Fake Skating, published by Simon & Schuster on September 30, 2025, is a young adult romance by Lynn Painter that centers on a fake-dating premise set against a hockey-loving Minnesota backdrop, pairing childhood-sweetheart tension with themes of found family. The novel debuted straight onto the New York Times Young Adult Hardcover Best Seller list and held the number one position for fifteen of its first twenty-eight weeks on the chart — a commercial performance that made a studio acquisition essentially inevitable.
As Letterboxd's early listing notes, the story follows childhood best friends who reunite and enter a fake relationship to rehabilitate their reputations, a slow-burn structure that has proven reliably cinematic in the YA space. It is, by any measure, Painter's highest-profile publishing moment yet, and the adaptation deal confirms Hollywood's continued appetite for the genre.
For readers who want the full literary verdict on the novel before the film arrives, our review of Fake Skating covers the book in depth.
Boone, Olive Bridge, and the YA Adaptation Landscape
The choice of Josh Boone is a pointed one. His 2014 adaptation of John Green's The Fault in Our Stars is widely credited with demonstrating that YA romance could command serious box office rather than simply serving a niche audience — it grossed over $300 million worldwide and helped define a template studios have been chasing since.
Attaching Boone to Fake Skating signals that Sony is treating this as a genuine theatrical event rather than a streaming placeholder, a distinction that matters as studios reassess where YA fits in their theatrical slates.
Will Gluck's Olive Bridge brings its own relevant track record. Gluck's production banner has navigated the space between crowd-pleasing commercial fare and quality storytelling with credibility, making it a natural home for a property that needs to honor a passionate existing readership while opening to a general audience.
According to IMDB's news coverage, this is explicitly noted as the first of Painter's books to be adapted — meaning the studio is betting that a successful film could open a broader franchise door, given that Painter has multiple bestselling titles. Her earlier novel Better Than the Movies, which shares the same sharp romantic sensibility as Fake Skating, is a natural candidate for follow-on interest should the adaptation land well.
As of publication, casting has not been finalized, as New Indian Express confirms. With roughly a year until the July 2027 release window, the production timeline is tight but workable for a project of this scale.
What is already clear is that Sony is positioning Fake Skating as a summer tentpole for younger audiences, a slot that historically rewards the kind of emotionally driven, fan-beloved source material Painter has delivered.
Fake Skating arrives in theaters July 16, 2027. Want the full verdict on the novel before the film lands?
Read our review of Fake Skating for everything you need to know.
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Frequently Asked Questions
When is the Fake Skating movie coming out?
The film adaptation of Lynn Painter's Fake Skating is scheduled for a theatrical release on July 16, 2027. Sony Pictures and Olive Bridge Entertainment are producing, with Josh Boone directing. Casting had not been finalized as of mid-2026.
Who is directing the Fake Skating film adaptation?
Josh Boone, best known for directing The Fault in Our Stars (2014), has been attached to direct Fake Skating for Sony Pictures. The project is being produced through Will Gluck's Olive Bridge Entertainment.
Is Fake Skating by Lynn Painter worth reading before the movie?
Fake Skating spent fifteen of its first twenty-eight weeks at number one on the New York Times Young Adult Hardcover Best Seller list, making it one of the most commercially successful YA debuts of 2025. Reading the novel before a major film adaptation gives you the full story, the characters' interiority, and the slow-burn detail that films often condense. Our full review of Fake Skating covers whether it lives up to the hype.
Should I read Fake Skating or wait for the 2027 movie?
If you enjoy YA romance — particularly fake-dating and childhood-sweetheart stories — reading Fake Skating before the film offers a richer experience than waiting. Lynn Painter's novels are known for sharp emotional storytelling that adapts well but also stands fully on its own. The movie arrives July 16, 2027, giving readers plenty of time to experience the book first.
Is Fake Skating the first Lynn Painter book to be adapted?
Yes. According to reporting from Deadline and IMDB, Fake Skating is explicitly the first of Lynn Painter's bestselling novels to be adapted for the screen. Painter has multiple popular titles, including Better Than the Movies, so a successful film could pave the way for further adaptations.
Who is producing the Fake Skating movie?
The film is being produced by Will Gluck's Olive Bridge Entertainment in partnership with Sony Pictures and Columbia Pictures. Will Gluck is a producer with a track record in commercial, audience-friendly storytelling, and the project represents Olive Bridge's entry into the YA romance adaptation space.
