Almost two decades after it was first announced, the film adaptation of Scott Westerfeld’s UGLIES is finally on the horizon, courtesy of Netflix.
Based on the best-selling 2005 YA sci-fi novel of the same name, UGLIES is poised to be one of the streamer's next big IPs. The original book spawned three sequels (Pretties, Specials, and Extras) as well as four spinoff novels in the same universe (Impostors, Shatter City, Mirror's Edge, and Youngbloods).
While fans of the original saga are certainly expecting the story to continue on screen beyond UGLIES, for now, all eyes are on the first installment of the long-anticipated adaption, which Joey King stars in and executive produces alongside the saga's original author Scott Westerfeld.
As the premiere inches closer, we've compiled everything you need to know about Netflix's UGLIES, including updates on its trailer, casting, and release date. Keep reading for it all, or jump to your preferred section using the arrows below.
→ Plot
→ Cast
→ Trailer
→ Release date
→ First-look pictures
What is Netflix's UGLIES about?
Based on the novel of the same name by Scott Westerfeld, UGLIES takes place 300 years into the future in a post-apocalyptic dystopian society where teenagers undergo government-mandated cosmetic surgery to turn them into “Pretties” when they reach their sixteenth birthday, which allows them to move to New Pretty Town.
UGLIES centers on protagonist Tally Youngblood, a 16-year-old residing in Uglyville who's always dreamed of becoming a Pretty until she links up with a new friend, Shay, who plans to run away to a rebel settlement known as the Smoke.
“In a futuristic world that imposes a cosmetic surgery at 16, Tally is eager for her turn to join the rest of society. But when a friend runs away, Tally embarks on a journey to save her that upends everything she thought she wanted," Netflix's logline for UGLIES reads.
McG — known for his work on Charlie's Angels, The O.C., The Babysitter, and more — serves as director, producer, and co-writer for UGLIES, with Jacob Forman, Vanessa Taylor, and Whit Anderson also credited for the script.
“I'm absolutely thrilled to share UGLIES with the world,” McG told Teen Vogue exclusively. “I feel like the message of the film is timelier than ever. With our contemporary society so obsessed with image, what a great message this movie shares that beauty is interior, and it's who we are on the inside that counts. All in a film packed with action, romance, and adventure.”
Who is in the cast of Netflix's UGLIES?
While Joey King's involvement in the film was announced in 2020, the rest of the UGLIES cast was unveiled back in 2021, when most of the shooting took place. Learn more about the actors and their characters below:
Joey King stars as Tally Youngblood in Netflix's UGLIES. In 2022, King said playing Tally was “a dream realized” as a long-time fan of the book series. In the books, Tally is described as having brown hair and hazel eyes. In the beginning, she is obsessed with becoming a Pretty.
Chase Stokes plays Peris, Tally's childhood best friend who, despite mocking them with Tally, always dreamed of becoming a Pretty. Unlike Tally, Peris gets his surgery on his sixteenth birthday.
Brianne Tju plays Shay, who's considered to be the deuteragonist in the series. Described as having black with bangs and light eyes, she's the one that makes Tally question her desire to become a Pretty in the first place, setting the whole series in motion. She is a member of the Smoke and dreamt of joining the clique before she even met Tally.
Teen Vogue New Hollywood alumn Keith Powers plays David in UGLIES. David is one of the founders of the Smoke and a love interest of Tally.
Speaking to Teen Vogue earlier this year, Powers revealed he was so good as David that the film's creative team asked him to come back for “one more round of reshoots” to add more of his scenes to the final cut. “It was super dope to hear that, and flattering, because shooting it was tough," he said at the time. Powers also revealed he's excited for UGLIES to become the new big YA IP. “Our YA [growing up] was Twilight and Hunger Games. We were spoiled, we got heat. That's what we want UGLIES to be. We want UGLIES to be that next thing,” he said.
Judging by the trailer, Laverne Cox appears to play a version of Dr. Cable, the main antagonist in the series, who keeps control of the Pretty Operation.
Apart from these characters, UGLIES will also feature Charmin Lee, Jan Luis Castellanos, Joseph Echavarria, and Zamani Wilder as Smokies Maddy, Croy, Ryde, and Astrix, respectively, as well as Robert Palmer Watkins and Jillian Murray as Sol and Ellie Youngblood, Tally's parents.
Is there a trailer for Netflix's UGLIES?
Yes! Netflix put out the official trailer for UGLIES on August 8, 2024. In the trailer, we see Joey King's Tally grappling with the realities of the Pretty surgery. “All my life, I wanted to be pretty,” Tally narrates in the trailer as flashes of Uglyville and New Pretty Town alternate on the screen. “I thought it would change everything. I hope that's still true.”
In the next few clips, we get a peek at Tally and Peris's relationship as he prepares for his sixteenth birthday and surgery. “Will you promise me something? No matter how pretty they make you, just don't let them erase you,” Tally tells Peris as they say their goodbyes. We then see Shay telling Tally the surgery is more invasive than it appears before cutting to Pretty Peris bumping into Tally at a party. “Things are just different here,” he tells Tally, referring to New Pretty Town. “You'll get it… when you're Pretty.”
In the next clips, we get introduced to the Smoke and David. We even get a little peek at hoverboards in action, which fans of the original book series will surely recognize, and Tally and David's fiery kiss. But, of course, life's not as easy as it seems. You can watch the trailer below:
When does Netflix's UGLIES come out?
After literal years of waiting, UGLIES will premiere on Netflix on September 13, 2024.
Are there any first-look photos for Netflix's UGLIES?
There are indeed. Teen Vogue got the exclusive first-look photos from UGLIES on August 7, 2024. In the first three ever pictures released from the film, which you can also see below, we see Tally and Peris pre-surgery and Tally joining the Smoke.
UGLIES will stream on Netflix exclusively. This post will continue to be updated as news about the project breaks.
