Sony Pictures and its specialty division Columbia Pictures are set to bring author Lynn Painter’s latest novel “Fake Skating” to the big screen, with a slated theatrical debut on July 16, 2027.
A Hockey‑Centric Romance
The story follows two former childhood sweethearts who decide to stage a fake romance in a town where hockey culture dominates every corner, turning the sport into both backdrop and catalyst for their tangled emotions.
Josh Boone, known for his work on “Regretting You” and the adaptation of John Green’s “The Fault in Our Stars,” will helm the project. Boone, represented by WME and Johnson Shapiro Slewett & Kole, brings a track record of translating emotionally charged novels into cinematic experiences.
Will Gluck, Jacqueline Monetta and Madison Jones are attached as producers, while Painter herself will serve as executive producer. The film is being positioned as a mid‑budget literary adaptation, a strategy Sony has successfully employed with titles such as “It Ends With Us” and “Where the Crawdads Sing.”
Author’s Growing Film Footprint
Painter, who is represented by UTA and BookEnds Literary Agency, is best known for best‑selling works like “Better Than the Movies,” “The Do‑Over” and “The Love Wager.” This adaptation marks her first foray into film, though she will continue to publish under her own name and the pen name Anna Trent.
The project will sit between two Warner Bros. releases — “Man of Tomorrow” and a sequel to “A Minecraft Movie” — creating a strategic window for Sony to capture summer audiences while leveraging the buzz from its neighboring blockbusters.
Industry insiders note that the film’s marketing will likely lean on the author’s strong social media presence and the novel’s cult following, with promotional tie‑ins that echo the hockey theme. As the studio expands its roster of literary adaptations, the collaboration with Boone and Painter underscores a renewed focus on stories that blend romance with niche subcultures.