TV keeps Greg Berlanti plenty busy these days—that is, making TV, not just catching up on it (though that’s quite an undertaking as well, and we should all be very proud). The former Dawson’s Creek and Brothers & Sisters executive producer has been responsible for constructing the small screen’s DC universe, which is faring far better than its celluloid counterpart. He’s juggling producing duties on The Flash, Arrow, Legends Of Tomorrow, and Supergirl right now, in addition to adding some much-needed grit to the town of Riverdale in his Archie-based series. But Berlanti’s about to shift gears and return to feature films with an adaptation of Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda.
Berlanti’s directing the film, which will be adapted from Becky Albertalli’s YA novel by Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger (This Is Us). The book follows the titular Simon’s less-than-ideal coming-out story, as the teen deals with being blackmailed by a classmate about his sexual orientation while trying to figure out how to tell his friends and family that he’s gay. The film is expected to begin filming early next year.
Simon Vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda will add just a third film credit to Berlanti’s TV-heavy résumé; he previously helmed Life As We Know It, starring Katherine Heigl and Josh Duhamel. But before that, Berlanti directed The Broken Hearts Club: A Romantic Comedy, which starred Timothy Olyphant, Zach Braff, Justin Theroux, and John Mahoney as gay friends, lovers, and members of a softball team. Berlanti is also leading development on The Ray, which will be the first animated series with a gay DC superhero lead.