Colleen Hoover Expands Film Production House Reach
Author Colleen Hoover and partner Lauren Levine are actively shaping book adaptations through Heartbones Entertainment.
Updated on Oct. 23, 2026 in Horror
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Colleen Hoover and producer Lauren Levine launched their production company Heartbones Entertainment in 2023. The firm actively develops film adaptations of Hoover's books and other authors' works.
Why it matters
By moving into production, Hoover and Levine shift from merely selling rights to directly steering the creative and financial development of literary adaptations.
The film adaptation of It Ends with Us grossed $351 million worldwide against a $25 million budget, while Verity earned over $122 million. Additionally, Verity has sold 4.7 million copies.
The players
Colleen Hoover
Colleen Hoover is a prolific author who co-founded Heartbones Entertainment to exert greater influence over the film adaptations of her literary works.
Lauren Levine
Lauren Levine is a film producer who partnered with Colleen Hoover to establish a production company dedicated to developing book-to-screen projects.
Ali Hazelwood
Ali Hazelwood is an author whose novel Love, Theoretically was selected by Heartbones Entertainment for a film adaptation in 2026.
The details
Heartbones Entertainment partners with external studios to finance projects while maintaining creative control over the adaptation process. The company is currently developing a series based on the novel Without Merit.
Timeline
2015: Lauren Levine contacted regarding potential book adaptations.
2023: Heartbones Entertainment launched.
2024: Film adaptation of It Ends with Us released.
2025: Film adaptation of Regretting You released.
June 2026: Adaptation of Love, Theoretically announced.
Industry Dynamics
The formation of Heartbones Entertainment reflects a broader industry shift where authors take active roles in production rather than acting as passive rights holders. This trend challenges the traditional model of studios acquiring intellectual property without direct creator input.
Audiences can expect more projects where the original author has a direct hand in the screen adaptation process. This likely influences the tone and faithfulness of future film versions of popular novels.
The takeaway
Authors increasingly act as producers to ensure the creative integrity of their stories remains intact during film development. Readers and viewers should expect future adaptations to align more closely with original literary narratives.
Further reading
For more on the intersection of literature and film, explore the Horror section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by PublishersWeekly.
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