It’s taken over a decade, but the day has finally arrived. Joey King’s journey to adapt Scott Westerfeld’s best-selling dystopian novel Uglies has been deeply personal and deeply emotional. “What’s crazy is my excitement for the story has been at the same level since I was 11 years old,” King told Netflix. Her love for the book began when her sister handed her a copy of Uglies. King remembered, “She said, ‘Just read the first chapter, and if you don’t want to continue,'” It wasn’t exactly how King wanted to spend her days off from school, but in a pretty short period, she found herself engulfed with Uglies and dreamed of playing Tally Youngblood someday.
Not only has King played her dream role of Tally, but she’s also worn the hat of an executive producer to shepherd the adaptation to the screen. In Uglies, looks are everything. Director McG explains, “Essentially, when you reach 16 years old, you receive a surgical procedure to customize your appearance.” If everyone looks the way they want, society believes there will no longer be conflict. Society isn’t this simple, however, and Tally finds herself at the heart of a growing rebellion against this perfect world.
The Nature of Uglies
In the future world of Uglies, teenagers undergo cosmetic surgery at age sixteen to transform into “Pretties.” Tally can barely wait until she reaches the next stage of her life. Still, when her friend Shay ran away, it was an absolute about-face. Tally’s quest for Shay brought her to the heart of a resistance movement that challenges all her previous beliefs.
Scott Westerfeld’s 2005 novel of the same name is still very relevant. King believes the film comes at the right time. “I think it is super relevant that we’re making this now,” she said. McG concurs, emphasizing the film’s commentary on contemporary beauty standards. “It’s a commentary on what we’re experiencing today, where so many people can’t just take a photograph and post it on social media. You apply a filter, edit it, and take other steps to present an idealized version of beauty.
Westerfeld, author of Uglies, added that such themes in his novel are more relevant today, owing to changes in how we view beauty. “When I wrote the book in the early 2000s, I was mostly talking about real plastic surgery, but now what most people do to change their appearance is digital,” Westerfeld said. “We blur and filter our faces.” “There’s something really interesting about how technology has made the book more trenchant and interesting.”
Behind the Scenes and Cast
The cast joins Joey King, led by Keith Powers as David, Chase Stokes as Peris, and Brianne Tju as Shay. For Chase Stokes, the role of Peris was such a dive into layers of one character. “Peris is sort of three characters in one as we see him shift throughout the film,” Stokes said. Jan Luis Castellanos as Croy, Charmin Lee as Maddy, and Laverne Cox as the unstoppable Dr. Cable complete the cast.
Davis recalled a personal connection to the book, recounting how the story inspired deep conversations about body image and beauty with her daughter. “It gave us the opportunity to talk about all of the important themes tackled in the book: body image and beauty, individuality, friendship, and loyalty,” Davis said.
What’s Next?
As for future news, there is still hope for a sequel when it comes to fans of Uglies. While Netflix has not confirmed Pretties—the sequel to the book—there is a chance the story shall continue. “If the Uglies movie does well, a sequel may be forthcoming. The story of Tally Youngblood is just beginning, and there is much more to explore in Mr. Westerfeld’s world.
The movie concludes with Tally making the ultimate sacrifice, transforming into a Pretty in order to aid the rebels. This selfless act of courage underpins the movie’s important message: self-acceptance and the nature of true beauty. “I’m Tally Youngblood,” she says in the novel’s closing lines. Make me Pretty,” she says, coming to a full acceptance of herself and all the complications that come with it.
Now, with the adaptation streaming on Netflix, audiences can plunge into this intriguing world of dystopia and learn about the story that has kept Joey King—along with many other people—gripped for all these years.
