Sydney Sweeney is continuing her rise in Hollywood with a book-to-film adaptation. The Registration, based on the book of the same name by Madison Lawson, is currently in development through Sony with the Euphoria actress attached to star and produce. The book is due to be published on September 27, 2022.

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This isn’t the only project Sweeney is working with Sony on. She was recently cast in the company’s Madame Web, starring Dakota Johnson. Despite some production delays, the film is still moving forward as planned and will be released in late 2023.

Let’s discuss everything we know about The Registration so far.

The Registration: The Plot

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While little is known about the film’s plot, we can look to the book’s synopsis for an idea of what to expect. With the book not out yet, we can’t use a full plot description to figure out what will happen, but the synopsis gives us plenty to start thinking about.

This makes it sound like a more organized and limited version of the annual purge from The Purge franchise. But, who would influence several people to waste their single legal murder seemingly on a stranger? Who is leading the mass hunt against her? Will Lynell find out who is behind the targeted action by the end of the movie?

Imagine it’s legal to commit one murder in your lifetime—if you Register the victim and accomplish the kill within fourteen days. So when Lynell Mize stands in line to Register the man who abused her as a child, she’s shocked to hear a stranger Register her to be killed. Why would anyone who doesn’t know her squander his one legal murder on her? Desperate to survive the next two weeks, she must find out who wants to kill her—and why. Easier said than done as Lynell soon discovers that multiple strangers have used their Registration on her. Along the way, she reunites with her estranged husband who is determined to dig up a past Lynell prefers to keep buried. With only days left to live, Lynell is determined to uncover the truth and survive a destiny not of her choosing.

The synopsis mentions finding her estranged husband on her journey. Does he know who is trying to kill her? Does her past have something to do with it, or could it set her free? We won’t have more information until the book’s release, but it’s likely to be a wild ride from start to finish.

The Registration: The Cast

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Sydney Sweeney has been announced as the lead role of Lynell Mize. Additional cast members have not been confirmed at this time, but it’s likely other big names will be cast and announced soon to play her estranged husband and abusive stepfather.

Release Date

At this time, the film is still in pre-production, so the earliest audiences should expect to see the film is next fall or winter, though a 2024 release is more practical. With Madame Web scheduled for an October 6, 2023 release, it’s likely that if The Registration were to arrive on screens in 2023, it would be after that.

Early Book Reviews

Early reviews of the book by critics show mixed reviews and give more plot details. “Fights over abortion, euthanasia, and the death penalty led to a civil war, which left the country in tatters, until the Registration funneled the anger,” Portia Kapraun writes for the Library Journal. This gives insight into why the Registration was enacted, reinforcing the similarities between The Purge franchise (and further proving Fuller is a great choice to produce the film). Kapraun continues, praising the subject matter but noting the pacing can be inconsistent.

Publishers Weekly gives a different opinion, noting that “Lynell’s ability to talk herself out of danger is a bit too facile” and comments that the book comes to a “perplexing” end. The writer also notes that the book and its content aren’t up to “Hitchcock standards.”

With two differing reviews, it will be interesting to see what the masses say when the book is released and how their reactions could be incorporated into the film in these early stages of development.

Check out some upcoming adaptations you can see before The Registration hits theaters in the (hopefully near) future.