Kristen Ciccarelli's "Crimson Moth" fantasy romance series is headed to television. Producers Georgia Lee, Joe Henderson, and Chad Kennedy have secured the rights to the internationally bestselling books and tapped Kim Shumway to write the adaptation.
Shumway brings significant credentials to the project. She worked as a writer and producer on The CW's "The 100," a post-apocalyptic survival drama that ran for seven seasons and built devoted fan communities across streaming platforms. Her experience with serialized genre storytelling and ensemble casts positions her well to translate Ciccarelli's books to screen. The team is currently shopping the script to buyers, signaling confidence in the material's commercial potential.
Lee and Henderson represent established players in the prestige television space. Lee worked on "The Expanse," Amazon Prime Video's acclaimed sci-fi series that maintained a rabid fanbase despite multiple near-cancellations before landing at Bezos's platform. Henderson co-created "Lucifer," the supernatural noir that started at Fox before Netflix picked it up for a final run, ultimately completing five seasons and becoming a streaming juggernaut. Both producers understand how to develop genre properties with emotional resonance and visual scale.
The "Crimson Moth" series occupies the fantasy romance space that has proven lucrative for television in recent years. Publishers Weekly and international markets have embraced Ciccarelli's work, suggesting built-in appeal with reading audiences who often translate to television viewers. The books combine court intrigue, romance, and fantasy worldbuilding. The series already has a global footprint, which reduces risk for broadcasters and streamers evaluating content portfolios.
Publishing tie-ins matter here. Wednesday Books, an imprint of Simon and Schuster, handles the print editions and will benefit from television exposure. Publishing houses increasingly coordinate with television projects to maximize cross-platform reach. Ciccarelli has built her author brand through social media engagement, so adaptation announcements typically drive book sales among fans eager to experience source material before television debuts.
The shopping phase indicates the producers view this as premium content worth pitching to major platforms. Streamers like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV Plus, and traditional networks all greenlight fantasy romance adaptations. "Shadow and Bone," developed for Netflix, demonstrated audience appetite for dense fantasy worlds with romance elements. That series adapted Leigh Bardugo's Grishaverse and performed well enough to justify a second season.
Television development of bestselling book series remains competitive terrain. Not every adaptation reaches production. Success depends on timing, network appetite, and creative execution. Shumway's involvement suggests this project has momentum beyond typical option announcements. Her "100" work gives her experience managing large ensemble casts and high-stakes plotting across multiple seasons.
The timing aligns with broader industry patterns. Streamers continue hunting for franchises with existing fanbase momentum. Fantasy romance attracts younger demographics that digital platforms heavily target. Given Lee and Henderson's track records developing properties that achieve both critical respect and audience engagement, "Crimson Moth" has infrastructure backing its path from books to screen.