Constance Wu & Drew Comins To Produce ‘Natural Beauty’ TV Series Based On Ling Ling Huang Novel In Works At eOne

Nellie Andreeva
·2 min read
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EXCLUSIVE: In a very competitive situation, eOne has landed the rights to Natural Beauty, the debut novel by writer and concert violinist Ling Ling Huang, to develop for television. The series will be produced by Constance Wu, via her Tempo Wubato Productions, and Yellowjackets executive producer Drew Comins, via his Creative Engine Entertainment, under their deals at eOne.

Natural Beauty will be published by Dutton, an imprint of Penguin Random House, in April 2023. In it, after a family tragedy derails a virtuoso pianist’s promising future, she finds herself recruited to work at an elite wellness company where beauty secretly comes at a horrific cost. A mix of the horror and social commentary of Get Out and the intoxicating company culture of The Dropout set within the world of beauty & wellness, Natural Beauty is a sardonic, pitch-black exposé of how the beauty industry does the dirty work of supremacy culture.

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Search is underway for a writer to write the adaptation, which, like the book, will feature an Asian American woman as its protagonist.

The novel, which drew about 10 bids from producers, studios and streamers, draws on Grammy winner Huang’s experience as a violinist for various ensembles, including the Oregon Symphony, ProMusica, Experiential Orchestra, Carnegie’s Hall Link Up Orchestra, and Music Kitchen, an organization that partnered with Carnegie Hall to bring concerts to shelters for those experiencing homelessness. Huang also has appeared on The Tonight Show backing hip hop artists Gunna and Metro Boomin. (You can watch a performance by her below.) She is repped by UTA.

Former Fresh Off the Boat star Wu can currently be seen as the female lead opposite Chris Pratt in the Amazon thriller The Terminal List. On the big screen, she stars in the Crazy Rich Asians franchise and also starred in Hustlers. Her upcoming projects include her book of essays, Making a Scene, as well as the theatrical comedy musical Lyle, Lyle Crocodile with Javier Bardem. Wu is repped by CAA, Principal Entertainment and attorney Steve Warren at Hansen Jacobsen Teller.

Comins executive produces Showtime’s breakout hit Yellowjackets, which was recently nominated for seven Emmy awards including Outstanding Drama Series. Creative Engine Entertainment has several projects in development at premium cable and streaming outlets including HBO Max and Showtime, including a football drama at Showtime with former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo and The Boys star Chace Crawford.

UTA negotiated the deal on behalf of Kirby Kim at Janklow & Nesbit.

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