Singer, actress, and novelist Hayley Kiyoko is now stepping into a new role: director.
“I have never fought so hard for anything in my life,” Kiyoko announced to Instagram Wednesday. “The tears, the setbacks, the sacrifices, the closed doors, the immense struggle to get a film made is another story in itself.”
Focus Features has officially acquired worldwide rights to the upcoming film, according to Deadline. The project will be co-written by Kiyoko and Stefanie Scott, who stared in the song’s music video.
“I have dreamt of this moment for 9 years,” Kiyoko said. “Since I released [“Girls Like Girls”] in 2015, I’ve made a vow to myself and to you all to do everything in my power to create hopeful queer content at the largest scale possible.”
The release of her iconic coming-of-age LGBTQ+ music video “Girls Like Girls” followed the song’s release that same year. The video has since amassed over 157 million views and hundreds of comments calling for more “Girls Like Girls” content.
The success of the video lead Kiyoko to write her debut novel, Girls Like Girls, in 2023. The New York Times bestseller remained in the top ten bestselling list for Young Adult Hardcover for seven consecutive weeks.
Now, the project will finally see the silver screen. Girls Like Girls is set to be produced by the award-winning Mark Platt, who produced the recent Wicked film and the original Broadway production of Wicked. Platt is also behind Babylon (2022), La La Land (2016), Into the Woods (2014), and Legally Blonde (2001).
“We made it. It’s here. From a song, to a music video, to a book, to a feature film,” Kiyoko said. “Thank you kiyokians from the bottom of my heart. For showing up for me, reminding me I’m not alone. I’m so overwhelmed I finally get to share this news with you and make this film come to life.”
