A series adaptation of romance author Kennedy Ryan’s Before I Let Go has received a series order from Peacock, Deadline reports, after being in development at the NBCUniversal streamer for more than three years.
The series will now be written by From Scratch co-creators Attica Locke and Tembi Locke, who will serve as showrunners, alongside Ryan and Malcolm D. Lee, who created the series together and co-wrote the pilot. The project first came to light in 2023, when Deadline reported the novel’s adaptation with executive producers including Lee, Dominique Telson, John Legend, Mike Jackson and Debra Martin Chase. It will be produced by Universal Global Television and Universal Television.
Before I Let Go follows Yasmen and Josiah Wade, whose marriage was supposed to last forever until life dealt them back-to-back devastating blows that ended in divorce and shared custody. As Yasmen begins finding joy again, proximity to Josiah reopens old wounds and keeps old embers hot, leaving both to wonder whether they’re ready to let go of everything they once had, or whether the second time around could be even better. The novel is the first in Ryan’s Skyland series.
Attica Locke, Tembi Locke, Ryan, Lee, who also directs, Telson, Jackson, Legend and Martin Chase all executive produce.
Tembi Locke, also an actor known for series including Never Have I Ever, adapted her memoir From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily, and Finding Home into a Netflix series with her sister Attica. Attica Locke’s writing credits include When They See Us, Empire and Little Fires Everywhere, and the pair hold a first-look deal with Universal Television.
Ryan, who holds her own first-look deal with NBCUniversal through her Scribe Chick Media banner, has written more than 20 books across seven series and made history as the first Black author to win an Audie Award in the romance category. Lee, who also has a first-look deal with Universal Television, has directed the Best Man franchise, Girls Trip, Space Jam: A New Legacy and Peacock’s Strung through his Blackmaled Productions banner. Legend runs Get Lifted Film Co. with Jackson, the pair behind the Tony-winning musical Cats: The Jellicle Ball, La La Land and Netflix’s Rhythm + Flow. Martin Chase, who also holds a first-look deal with Universal Television, executive produced Being Mary Tyler Moore and The Equalizer and is currently in post-production on The Cheetah Girls: Next Gen.
“Getting the chance to bring the Skyland series to life onscreen is a dream come true,” Ryan said. “I’m excited about what this remarkable team is creating. Co-writing the pilot with Malcolm D. Lee and now imagining this world with Attica and Tembi is more than I even knew to ask for. These characters have meant so much to so many readers, and none of this would be possible without the people who have supported my work for years. I’m incredibly grateful and excited to find a new audience for these books that have changed my life.”