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The new Netflix movie The School for Good and Evil hit the streaming platform on Oct. 19. Directed by Paul Feig (Freaks and Geeks, The Heat), the film features a delightful twist regarding just how fairy tales are made. It stars heavy hitters like Charlize Theron, Laurence Fishburne, and Kerry Washington, along with newcomers Sofia Wylie and Sophia Anne Caruso. The School for Good and Evil is based on a book series by Soman Chainani, but how many books are in the series? Here’s everything we know.

Kerry Washington and Charlize Theron, seen here standing next to one another in a production still, star in 'The School for Good and Evil' which is based on a book series.
‘The School for Good and Evil’ is based on a book series by Soman Chainani. | Cr. Helen Sloan / Netflix © 2022

The Netflix version of ‘The School for Good and Evil’ is a standalone film

Audience members don’t need previous knowledge of the book series to enjoy Netflix’s version of The School for Good and Evil. The story follows two teen girls in the small town of Gavaldon. Sophie (Caruso) and Agatha (Wylie) are unlikely friends. Sophie’s long blonde hair and penchant for pink make her believe she’s a top candidate for the School of Good. Agatha’s dark clothes and eccentric mother make her the target of cruel townsfolk who think she’s a witch. They share a love for books and each other, however.

Sophie believes she’ll wind up at the School for Good one day. There she’ll learn the ins and outs of being a fairy tale princess. Agatha, on the other hand, wants Sophie to get her head out of the clouds. One night, a monstrous boney bird snatches them both away and drops them each at different schools. However, Sophie lands at the School for Evil while Agatha ends up at the School for Good. Both teens believe it’s a mistake and try to convince anyone who will listen that they need to be switched. Antics ensue, and Feig gives viewers a deeper look at what it really means for someone to earn the label of good or evil.

Seven books make up ‘The School for Good and Evil’ series

If watching the film made you want to read the book version of The School for Good and Evil, you’re in luck. Chainani wrote seven books in total for the series, including one “handbook.” The first trilogy, known as The School Years, includes The School for Good and Evil, A World Without Princes, and The Last Ever After. Chainanin released the books in 2013, 2014, and 2015, and they follow Sophie and Agatha through their first three years at their respective schools. In 2016, Chainanin published The Never Ever Handbook, which takes place after the events in The Last Ever After. It’s written in the style of a guidebook for new students arriving at their schools.

The final three books, known as The Camelot Years, include Quests for Glory, A Crystal of Time, and One True King. These novels, published in 2017, 2019, and 2020, complete the story of Sophie and Agatha.

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Paul Feig sets the film up for a sequel

The potential in a world of fairy tales seems endless, and Feig sets the film up for subsequent films. In Feig’s version of The School for Good and Evil, the final shot gives audiences the idea that more might come from Sophie and Agatha’s adventures. However, it’s not necessarily a dramatic cliffhanger. If this film ends up as the only one brought to the silver screen, it works to tie up the overarching story nicely.

Check out The School for Good and Evil, streaming exclusively on Netflix.

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