Amazon MGM Studios Snags Rights to Hit YA Novel A Stage Set for Villains
Amazon MGM Studios has secured the film rights to A Stage Set for Villains, the debut novel by Shannon J. Spann. The book, released by Entangled Publishing, has quickly become a Young Adult Hardcover bestseller. This marks another success for the publisher's new YA label, Mayhem, which now has two consecutive titles topping the charts.
The story centres on a cursed teenager who sneaks into a shadowy theatre controlled by godlike figures. There, they must compete in a brutal contest where survival is far from guaranteed. The novel's dark, high-stakes premise has drawn early praise from readers and critics alike.
Entangled Publishing's Mayhem imprint launched recently, and A Stage Set for Villains is its second title in a row to debut at number one. The first was another YA hit, though details on that book remain separate from this deal.
Liz Pelletier, founder of Entangled Publishing, and Sherryl Clark, CEO of Premeditated, will produce the film adaptation under their Premeditated banner. The pair have already set up multiple book-to-film projects at Amazon MGM Studios, though no further adaptations from Entangled or Premeditated are currently confirmed beyond initial announcements. Their roles extend to executive producing other adaptations, such as the Off the Map series, but no additional titles or timelines have been made public as of February 2026.
The film rights acquisition means A Stage Set for Villains will move from page to screen under Amazon MGM Studios. Pelletier and Clark will oversee production, bringing their experience with book adaptations to the project. No release date or casting details have been announced yet.
