Three-film deal for fan favorite

Amazon MGM Studios didn’t just buy one romance novel. It set up three movies at once, locking in Ana Huang’s entire “Gods of the Game” trilogy before the third book is even out. (variety.com) The deal covers “The Striker,” “The Defender,” and “The Keeper,” with “The Keeper” scheduled to publish in October 2026. That means Amazon is betting on a story world, not a single test case. (variety.com) These books are set in the world of English Premier League football, which gives the movies a built-in backdrop of stadiums, tabloids, team rivalries, and celebrity-athlete fame. Huang’s own site describes the series as sports romances set in English Premier League football. (anahuang.com) The first book, “The Striker,” follows star player Asher Donovan after a controversial transfer and a feud with teammate Vincent DuBois cost them a championship. The romance starts when Asher falls for Scarlett DuBois, who is Vincent’s sister and the team’s new trainer. (anahuang.com) The second book, “The Defender,” shifts to Vincent DuBois, the Blackcastle Football Club captain, after fame brings danger to his doorstep. His story pairs him with his coach’s daughter while he is forced into a secret living arrangement. (anahuang.com) The third book, “The Keeper,” is the finale, and pre-order listings call it the last installment in the series. Reporting before the film announcement said the novel follows Noah Wilson in a single-dad, nanny romance and is set for October 2026. (barnesandnoble.com, swooon.com) Amazon is buying into an author who already sells at franchise scale. Variety reported on April 9, 2026, that Huang has published 15 books across four series and sold more than 27 million copies worldwide. (variety.com) She also already has another screen project moving. Variety reported that Huang’s “Twisted Love” series is in television adaptation at Netflix, so Hollywood is now splitting her catalog across two major streamers. (variety.com) The producers tell you this is part of a bigger book-to-screen pipeline. Premeditated Productions’ Liz Pelletier and Sherryl Clark are producing under a first-look deal with Amazon MGM Studios, and Variety says the company is also adapting “Fourth Wing,” “Dragon Cursed,” and “A Stage Set for Villains.” (variety.com) Audible is in the package too, which shows how tightly publishers, audiobook platforms, and studios now work together on romance hits. Variety reported that Jackie Levine and Rachel Ghiazza will produce for Audible, which distributed the “Gods of the Game” audiobooks through Audiobook Creation Exchange, and Huang and Audible’s Marshall Lewy are executive producers. (variety.com) The real bet is that readers who turned these books into bestsellers will show up again as ticket buyers and Prime Video subscribers. A three-film order only makes sense if Amazon thinks the fandom is already large enough to skip the usual wait-and-see stage. (variety.com)