Gabrielle Union Acquires Rights To Young Adult Novel “500 Words Or Less;” Plans To Adapt Into Film

Gabrielle Union has acquired the rights to young adult fiction novel “500 Words Or Less.”

This is the debut novel from author Juleah Del Rosario, and the purchase of rights comes as a collaborative move for Union, Rebel Maverick and Amyale. The group plans to adapt the novel into a film. Union will be producing the project with her banner I’ll Have Another Production. The developing team includes Holly Shakoor, who will manage the progress of the project. Producing alongside Union is Manaal Khan and Matt Nicholas.

“Gabrielle Union has championed the YA genre for years, giving us some of our all-time favorites, and we couldn’t think of a better collaborator for this unique and poetic coming of age story,” said Khan and Nicholas. Union herself is an avid reader and loves young stories.

“I am such a fan of young adult stories in general but this novel really got me. It is beautifully written entirely in verse and the exploration of identity and what that means to you and those around you is something that my production company is focused on exploring with all the stories we choose to tell. This one really hit home and I’m excited to be part of bringing it to life as accurately as we possibly can,” stated Union.

The novel will follow the journey of a Nic Chen, a Chinese-American high school senior who writes her classmates’ college admissions essays to win over their respect but ends up realizing her greater strengths.