Serena Williams Set to Executive Produce TV Series Based on Taylor Jenkins Reid's Bestselling Tennis Novel 'Carrie Soto Is Back'

Yahoo

14-04-2025

Serena Williams is bringing her tennis talents to the small screen — sort of.
On Monday, April 14, Deadline reported that the tennis pro will serve as an executive producer on the upcoming Netflix adaptation of Taylor Jenkins Reid's bestselling novel Carrie Soto Is Back, which the streamer has taken in for development.
The series will be produced in partnership with Williams' production company Nine Two Six, and will bring Reid's 2022 novel about a retired tennis player who returns to the court for one final season to the screen. According to Deadline, Williams' own career will influence the series, too, which will be written by Amanda Kate Shuman.
Williams, 43, confirmed the news in a post to her Instagram Stories as she shared a screenshot of the Deadline article and tagged her production company.
Related: Jessica Chastain on Why She Declined to Sign Fan's 'Evelyn Hugo' Novel: 'Don't Read Too Much Into' It
Carrie Soto Is Back tells the story of the titular tennis legend who "makes the monumental decision to come out of retirement and be coached by her father for one last year in an attempt to reclaim her record" after a newcomer is poised to take the title from her.
Carrie's "on-again, off-again romance" with Bowe Huntley spices things up even further as she gets back on the court six years after retiring.
The news makes Carrie Soto Is Back the latest of Reid's bestselling books to be adapted for the screen. Her 2019 Fleetwood Mac-inspired novel Daisy Jones & the Six was adapted into the 2023 smash hit Prime Video series of the same name, starring Riley Keough and Sam Claflin. Additionally, 2017's The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is also getting a Netflix movie adaptation.
Related: Stevie Nicks Has a 'Fantastic' Idea for Season 2 of Daisy Jones and the Six, Says Reese Witherspoon, Riley Keough 'Loved' It
Ever since the news emerged that Evelyn Hugo would be adapted into a film, stars across Hollywood have voiced their enthusiasm about the project, including Eiza González, who vocalized her interest in the movie just a few weeks ago as she told E! News it would be "such an honor" to be involved.
"I love the book. I love all [Reid's] stuff. I'm a huge fan," Gonzalez, 35, said. She admitted, though, that she doesn't "even know what's happening with that project" and "I don't know if I'll ever get it."
A certain famous former costar of hers can see the vision, though. "Once I was on set and Natalie Portman was like, 'You know, I just can't think of anyone else to do Evelyn Hugo,'" Gonzalez recalled. "I was like, 'Natalie Portman is saying that to me! That's really fire.'"
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Ana de Armas has similarly voiced her interest in the film, as she told Entertainment Tonight on April 3 that she "would love" to play the titular character.
"I think one of the things I love about acting and my career is to be able to do everything. You have to try all the things you can. You can't just always eat the same thing," she told the outlet.
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