Sierra Simone, the USA Today bestselling author known for her boundary-pushing romance novels, never expected a call from ReelShort. But that call came, and it's resulted in a groundbreaking adaptation of her Lyonesse Trilogy—a queer, kinky retelling of the Tristan and Isolde legend that's set to redefine what vertical dramas can be.
Simone's books have long been celebrated for their fearless exploration of desire, and Hollywood has been slow to catch up. "In film and TV, you have to have so much buy-in; you really have to have a proof of concept," she explains. "To take a chance on something as taboo and frankly erotic as the stuff that I normally write, you have to be like, 'Well, there's a huge audience for this.'" With Lyonesse, that audience is about to get a stunning new series.
A Modern, Queer Twist on a Classic Legend
The Lyonesse Trilogy reimagines the medieval tale of Tristan and Isolde with a daring twist: what if Tristan and Isolde both fall for Mark, the man Isolde is promised to, while also pursuing their own forbidden romance? The result is not a love triangle but a true throuple, and it's unapologetically queer. "Just because it's MMF, the F doesn't erase the MM part," Simone says. She was upfront about this from the start, and ReelShort's enthusiastic response—no hesitation about the queer content or the kink—won her over. "The fact that there was not even a blink about the queer content, that there was not even a blink about the story being really kinky, was really attractive to me."
Simone also insisted on queer voices behind the camera and actors who could convey the unspoken intensity of her characters. That led to the casting of Nico Tortorella, Jake Lively, and Katelyn Rose as the central trio. Rose, a relative newcomer, was initially intimidated by the script and the intense filming schedule—a full month, compared to the typical 9-10 days for verticals. But she dove into Simone's books to prepare. "She's intense!" Rose says of Isolde. "I mean, she's a nun, but that girl is a killer—they call her a 'knife wife.'" Rose relished playing a character who defies the damsel-in-distress tropes common in short-form content. "Isolde, she will always fend for herself and fend for the people that she loves."
Breaking New Ground for Verticals
With its high production values, committed performances, and unapologetic sensuality, the Lyonesse Trilogy is poised to elevate the vertical drama format. It's a bold step for ReelShort, which is betting big on Simone's vision. As the streaming landscape evolves, this adaptation could signal a new era for short-form storytelling—one where complex, diverse, and steamy narratives thrive. For fans of romance and queer stories, it's a must-watch.
