On November 3, it was reported through exclusively through Deadline that NYT Bestselling and award-winning author Roshani Chokshi’s YA fantasy A Crown Of Wishes, is currently in development for a TV series with Disney+ alongside Avantika set to headline the project.
Chokshi’s 2017 novel centers around Princess Gauri (which Avantika will star) who finds herself facing a future of exile thanks to her malevolent brother, King of Bharata. However, she soon joins forces with notoriously cunning Prince Vikram from a neighboring land, where he can promise her freedom…if they team up to win the mythical competition known as the Tournament Of Wishes. Though one wish will be granted to the winner, the pair have differing agendas and in their alliance— a romance develops.
“i genuinely have tears in my eyes posting this right now. @/roshanichokshi wrote one of my favorite books till date….ever since i read ‘a crown of wishes’ two years ago, it became my passion to see the novel come to life. so, to now, have the HONOR of being able to headline and EXECUTIVE PRODUCE (how cool is that?!?!) this fantasy show – that’s going to launch a new era of princesses for disney – is absolutely crazy.”
Avantika via Instagram on Nov. 3, 2022
Avantika will not only star as Princess Gauri, but also executive produce the TV adaptation. Zanne Devine with Montana North Media is set to executively produce alongside Avantika, with co-producer Raj Raghavan of ColorCreative and Jessica Sonnefeld Jolles of Montana North co-producing.
According to her Instagram post, Avantika also stated in excitement “A NEW ERA OF DISNEY PRINCESSES.” In posting the announcement on Instagram Chokshi said “I can’t imagine a more beautiful, ferocious or clever Gauri than @iamavantika. She’s been a joy to work with from the very beginning and I’m so excited about what lies ahead… I couldn’t be happier that it’s getting new life on the small screen. To those of you who have been with me since The Star-Touched Queen days, there aren’t enough words of thanks. I hope you’re as excited as I am…”
A Crown Of Wishes is a spin-off and standalone follow-up to Chokshi’s debut novel The Star-Touched Queen, a series based in Hindu mythology. Avantika is known for her role in the DCOM (Disney Channel Original Movie) Spin from 2021.
An ancient mystery. An unlikely union. For one young princess in a state of peril, a dangerous wish could be the only answer…
She is the princess of Bharata—captured by her kingdom’s enemies, a prisoner of war. Now that she faces a future of exile and scorn, Gauri has nothing left to lose. But should she trust Vikram, the notoriously cunning prince of a neighboring land? He promises her freedom in exchange for her battle prowess. Together they can team up and win the Tournament of Wishes, a competition held in a mythical city where the Lord of Wealth promises a wish to the victor. It seems like a foolproof plan—until Gauri and Vikram arrive at the tournament and find that danger takes on new shapes: poisonous courtesans, mischievous story birds, a feast of fears, and twisted fairy revels. New trials will test their devotion, strength, and wits. But what Gauri and Vikram will soon discover is that there’s nothing more dangerous than what they most desire.
A Crown Of Wishes by Roshani Chokshi is out now!
The Booked Shelf 