Royal reporter (and Us Weekly alum!) Omid Scobie is getting ready for the television treatment. His forthcoming (and debut!) novel, Royal Spin.
Us can confirm that Scobie — along with Royal Spin coauthor, Robin Benway — is teaming up with showrunner Emily Fox (known for her work on The Watchful Eye and Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist) who will also write the pilot script.
“We’re so excited to be partnering with Universal Television on the adaptation of Royal Spin,” the trio shared in a joint statement on Thursday, July 18. “No show or book has ever gone inside the frenzied world of the Buckingham Palace press office, and we can’t wait to throw Lauren —our young American protagonist fresh from the White House communications team — into the deep end of it.”
While there’s no release date for the television adaptation or novel just yet, Scobie’s decade-plus of reporting and working alongside the royal family is sure to lend fascinating detail and accuracy to both projects. Royal Spin is set to follow a young American politico named Lauren O’Connell who makes her way from the White House to Buckingham Palace as “the British monarchy [is] reeling from a wave of scandals,” the book’s official logline reads.
Lauren’s job is “to breathe new life into the Buckingham Palace communications team and help end the royal family’s streak of bad press,” the description continues. “But in an institution steeped in tradition and strict protocol, change isn’t easy — or welcome. It turns out the Royal Household can be just as messy and confusing as Capitol Hill.”
Not only will Lauren face some “culture clashes” and “displeased royal aides,” there will be some “risky new love interests” thrown into the mix. “This fish out of water is determined to prove she’s got what it takes — and might even find herself in the process.”
The upcoming television adaptation will follow the same story.
“Offering a fresh take that beautifully blends wit and romance, Royal Spin is a deeply entertaining exploration of the world’s enduring fascination with the royal family,” Vivian Cannon, Executive Vice President of Drama Development at Universal Television shared in a statement on Thursday. “We’re delighted to have landed the rights to this fascinating story and thrilled to be collaborating with Emily, Omid and Robin to bring it to life for TV audiences.”
Scobie has famously covered the British royal family since 2011, reporting on royal weddings, children, tours and much more as a former Us Weekly staffer. He published the book Finding Freedom (about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle) in 2020. His follow up, Endgame (about the royal family at large), was released in 2023. Both were New York Times bestsellers.
