Netflix Developing YA Drama American Royals
Netflix is developing American Royals, a young-adult drama that asks what if America had a king.
The project is in early development, meaning scripts are being worked on but Netflix has not yet ordered it to series. The news was first reported by Deadline on 1 October 2026.
The series is inspired by Katharine McGee's bestselling book series from Alloy Entertainment. It imagines an alternate history where George Washington was anointed king of the United States instead of being elected president. The story follows a modern-day American royal family navigating palace life, duty and romance.
There is plenty of source material. McGee's series runs to four novels: American Royals (2019), Majesty (2020), Rivals (2022) and Reign (2023). A prequel novella, Inheritance, was published in 2022.
The television adaptation will be written by Ted Malawer. He will executive produce, meaning he will oversee the show creatively alongside his writing duties, with Leslie Morgenstein, who is Alloy Entertainment's president and chief creative officer. Warner Bros. Television, which owns Alloy, is the studio behind the project, handling production for Netflix.
Malawer has form with royal romance. He co-wrote the film adaptation of Red, White & Royal Blue. He was also a writer on Halston, Netflix's limited series starring Ewan McGregor as the fashion designer.
Alloy is a Warner Bros. Discovery company whose past television credits include The Vampire Diaries and Netflix's You, according to company materials.
For fans, this means waiting. No cast has been announced. No episode count or release date has been confirmed. Development is the first slot on the board, not the final schedule.
