Netflix Fantasy Film 'The School for Good and Evil' Was First a Book Series
Updated Oct. 14 2022, 4:33 p.m. ET
The exciting Netflix fantasy film The School for Good and Evil promises magic, mystery, and fairytale fun. The film, which arrives on the platform October 19, stars High School Musical: the Musical: the Series' Sofia Wylie as Agatha and Broadway's Sophia Anne Caruso as Sophie. In addition to the talented leading ladies, the supporting cast is stacked with Hollywood legends such as Charlize Theron, Kerry Washington, Michelle Yeoh, and more.
For all of the excitement around the film, fans have to wonder: Is The School for Good and Evil based on a book? And if so, how can we immediately order a copy? Here's what you need to know.
Is 'The School for Good and Evil' based on a book?
The short answer is yes, The School for Good and Evil is based on a book series! Author Soman Chainani wrote all six books starting in 2013. The first three books in the series, dubbed "The School Years," follow Agatha and Sophie at the School for Good and Evil, an enchanted college where students are trained to become fairytale heroes or villains.
The second series of books, dubbed "The Camelot Trilogy," follows Agatha and her love King Tedros ascending to King and Queen of Camelot, while Sophie forms Evil into a new image. The first novel in the series, titled The School for Good and Evil, was released in 2013. The final book in the series was released in 2020.
The School for Good and Evil begins in the village of Gavaldon, where every four years, two children are kidnapped by an unknown force and taken into the surrounding Endless Woods. Sophie dreams of being a princess with Happily Ever After, while Agatha lives in a graveyard and is widely regarded as a witch. When Agatha witnesses Sophie's capture, she rushes to save her friend and ends up coming along.
The friends quickly realize they are sent to the "wrong" schools: Sophie is declared a "Never" who attends the School for Evil, and Agatha is an "Ever" who is enrolled in the School for Good. Although the girls attempt to prove they are in the wrong place, they begin to resent one another. Will the girls learn to reconcile in the name of survival and fighting greater evil? Or is it true that "Evers" and "Nevers" cannot maintain a friendship?
The School for Good and Evil film will arrive on Netflix on Oct. 19, 2022. Currently there is no word on whether Netflix will adapt all the books in the series, but rest assured, the more fans watch, the more opportunities there will be for a sequel!
