"Sweet Valley High" is up for a big screen adaptation. Paramount Pictures enlisted Kirsten Smith and Harper Dill to work on the screenplay, but details as to who will direct and star in the movie have not yet been ironed out.
Kirsten Smith is largely credited for writing the screenplay of 2001's "Legally Blonde," which starred Reese Witherspoon. Harper Dill, on the other hand, currently writes for "The Mick," a comedy series on Fox that's entering its second season and stars Kaitlin Olson.
"Sweet Valley High" will be the first time Smith and Dill will team up, according to Deadline.
It started as a book series
Francine Pascal first released the "Sweet Valley High" book series in 1983. Though it has ended publication after 20 years, the novelist wrote over 600 books featuring twin sisters Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield from Sweet Valley, California.
Francine Pascal also wrote spinoff to the books via the "Sweet Valley Kids," which featured the twins in their years as elementary pupils. This release had over 75 books as well as a dozen special editions.
It spun into a TV series
Due to the book series’ success, the stories were made into a television show that aired for four seasons from 1994 to 1997 under syndication and on UPN. It featured teen actresses Brittany and Cynthia Daniel as Jessica and Elizabeth.
The Daniel sisters recently turned 40 and had a shared Instagram account under @brittanyandcynthiadaniel. Cynthia Daniel has happily settled into married life with husband Cole Hauser, and they have three children. Brittany Daniel continues to appear in movies and TV shows. She was last seen in "The Game" on The CW and guest-starred on "Black-ish" for two episodes.
These days, the Daniel sisters collaborate on a lifestyle website, The Sweet Life, where they cover fashion, beauty, travel, home life, personal improvement, and women issues.
“Cynthia and I worked on ‘Sweet Valley High’ years ago so coming back and working with my sister is amazing,” Brittany told People when their website launched.
“She’s my best friend.”
The movie development
Deadline further reported that interest for the film version has long been in contention. “Juno” scribe Diablo Cody once wrote a screenplay, but the film’s production did not proceed.
It’s unclear if Francine Pascal will be involved in the film that Paramount Pictures wants to get off the ground. It’s also not yet confirmed if Brittany and Cynthia Daniel will have a cameo in the movie.
