Oh darlings, we all know the feeling. You have just closed a book that wrecked you in the best possible way, your heart is still somewhere up in the clouds with the fae and the dragons and the morally grey men who would burn the world down for one girl, and you are not ready to leave that world behind. You want more of that exact feeling, the longing, the magic, the slow burn that makes you clutch your e-reader to your chest, but this time you want to watch it.
I´ve got you. This is the big one, the full guide to movies and TV shows for romantasy readers, sorted into little groups so you can find your next obsession based on the tropes and worlds you already adore. For each one I have told you what it is, where to watch it, why a romantasy reader will fall hard for it, who it is perfect for, and the popular romantasy books it feels most like so you can keep the magic going on the page too.
A quick note before we dive in, streaming homes do love to play musical chairs, and availability shifts depending on where in the world you are reading this from, so always have a little peek at your local listings to be sure. Grab your tea, get comfy, and let us find you something to fall in love with.
At a glance
- Dragons, Courts, and Crowns
- For The Vampire Girlies
- Angels, Demons, and Shadowhunters
- Witches, Curses, and Spellbound Romance
- Magic Schools and Chosen Ones
- Fairytale Hearts
- Time-Crossed and History-Drenched
- Wolves and the Moon
- More to Explore
- If You Loved The Book, Watch This
- Frequently Asked Questions
Explore the most popular romantasy books before the movies come out!
Dragons, Courts, and Crowns
If you live for political scheming, war colleges, and a romance that survives an entire kingdom trying to tear it apart, start here.
Game of Thrones & House of the Dragon
The sprawling, dragon-soaked epic tv show that taught a whole generation that fantasy on screen could be properly grown up. Warring families, impossible alliances, and yes, dragons the size of cathedrals.
House of the Dragon is the prequel, all Targaryen heartbreak and dragonback drama, and honestly the one I would point a romantasy reader toward first because the doomed-love energy is off the charts.
HBO and Max, with availability varying by region, so check your local platform.
Readers who want high stakes, court politics, dragons and a story that is not afraid to make you ache. These series are ideal for fans of Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros.
Read it next: Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros for the dragons and the war college tension, or From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout for the courtly intrigue and the swoon.
The Wheel of Time
A lush, sweeping epic about a group of ordinary young people pulled into an ancient prophecy, with channelling, chosen ones, and a slow simmer of romance threaded through the destiny of the world.
If you love a found family marching toward something enormous, this one wraps right around you.
You can watch The Wheel Of Time on Prime Video.
Readers who want epic scale, magic systems, and a sprinkle of yearning across many, many pages, sorry, episodes.
Read it next: An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir for the prophecy and the ache, or The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen for the slow burn wrapped in war.
For the Vampire Girlies
The original romantasy gateway drug, darlings. If your villain origin story was a brooding immortal in a leather jacket, this section is your whole personality.
The Vampire Diaries
The one that started so many of us off. A small town, two vampire brothers, one human girl, and roughly nine thousand emotional crises.
It is messy, it is dramatic, it is wildly addictive, and the love triangle has been living rent free in fandom brains for years.
Originally on The CW, now streaming on Max and Netflix depending on your region.
For readers who adore a brooding immortal, a love triangle, and a town that simply cannot catch a break.
Read it next: Crave by Tracy Wolff for the boarding school vampire pull, or Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead for the forbidden bite.
The Originals
The Vampire Diaries spin-off, and arguably the more grown up sibling. The Mikaelson family are the oldest, most powerful vampires in existence, and they bring a thousand years of grudges, loyalty, and tragic love to New Orleans.
The found family ache is genuinely beautiful here.
The CW originally, streaming on Max and Netflix in many regions.
For readers who want family drama with fangs, and morally grey men who are devoted to the bone.
Read it next: From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout for the immortal devotion.
Legacies
The next generation of the Vampire Diaries universe, set at a boarding school for vampires, witches, and werewolves.
It is lighter and more magical-school flavoured than its predecessors, with all the supernatural angst you could want.
The CW, streaming on Max and Netflix in select regions.
For readers who love a supernatural academy setting and a cast of swoony, dangerous teens.
Read it next: Zodiac Academy by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti for the magic school chaos.
True Blood
The grown up, gothic, southern gothic, deeply spicy one. Vampires have come out of the coffin and into society, and Sookie the telepathic waitress is right in the middle of it.
It is steamy, it is strange, it is gloriously over the top.
HBO and Max.
For readers who want their paranormal romance hot, weird, and unafraid of the bedroom.
Read it next: the Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris that started it all, or A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness for the witch and vampire pull.
Twilight
We do not gatekeep the classics here, darlings. The brooding vampire, the human girl, the werewolves, the rainy little town, and the love triangle that divided friendships.
Whatever you feel about it now, Twilight built the on-ramp that brought so many of us into paranormal romance in the first place.
The film saga rotates across Netflix and other platforms, so check your region.
For readers who want comfort viewing, nostalgia, and a slow human-meets-immortal pull.
Read it next: Twilight by Stephenie Meyer, obviously, or Crave by Tracy Wolff for a fresh take on the formula.
Vampire Academy
Half-vampire guardians training to protect royal vampires, with a fierce heroine, a forbidden romance, and a boarding school full of secrets.
There is both a 2014 film and a 2022 series, and both lean into that delicious student-and-protector tension.
the series streamed on Peacock, and the film rotates across platforms, so check your local listings.
For readers who love a fierce heroine, a forbidden mentor-style romance, and academy intrigue.
Read it next: Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead, the source of it all, or Bloodlines by Richelle Mead for more of that world.
Angels, Demons, and Shadowhunters
For when you want celestial beings, runes, and a romance that heaven itself seems determined to forbid.
The Mortal Instruments & Shadowhunters
Two bites at the same cherry, darlings. The 2013 film City of Bones and the beloved Shadowhunters TV series both adapt Cassandra Clare’s world of half-angel demon hunters hiding in plain sight in our cities.
The series is the one fandom truly took to its heart, with runes, parabatai bonds, and a romance that smoulders. The TV adaptation and the film are drawn from the very same books, so think of them as two doorways into one glittering world.
Shadowhunters streams on Netflix in many regions, with the film rotating across platforms. The Mortal Instruments is streaming on Prime Video.
For readers who love angels and demons, secret societies, and a hero who is all leather, runes, and longing.
Read it next: Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor for the angels and devils ache, or Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin for the forbidden, fated pull.
Fallen
A girl at a reform school, a brooding boy she is sure she has met before, and a curse that has played out across centuries.
Fallen angels, forbidden love, and a reincarnation romance that aches. It is pure dreamy paranormal yearning.
Rotates across streaming platforms and digital rental, so check your region.
For readers who adore a reincarnation romance and a love that refuses to die.
Read it next: Fallen by Lauren Kate, the book behind the film, or Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick for the fallen angel swoon.
Witches, Curses, and Spellbound Romance
Slow magic, family secrets, and a romance brewed like a potion.
A Discovery of Witches
A reluctant witch, a centuries-old vampire, an ancient manuscript, and a forbidden romance across magical species.
It is grown up, atmospheric, and beautifully slow, the kind of story that makes you want to light a candle and never leave your reading chair.
Fallen streams on AMC platforms and others depending on region, so check your local listings.
For readers who want a mature, intelligent paranormal romance with proper yearning.
Read it next: the All Souls trilogy by Deborah Harkness that the show is based on, or Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin for the witch and hunter tension.
Beautiful Creatures
A small southern town, a mysterious new girl with powers she cannot control, and a boy who falls for her anyway.
A curse looms over her sixteenth birthday, and the romance is all gothic, doomed, achy goodness.
It rotates across streaming and digital rental, so check your region.
For readers who love a southern gothic atmosphere and a cursed, forbidden love.
Read it next: the Caster Chronicles by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, the source novels, or Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin for more witchy romance.
The Secret Circle
A girl moves to a sleepy new town and discovers she comes from a long line of witches, drawn into a secret circle of teens all coming into their powers, with a forbidden romance crackling at the very centre.
Bookish bonus, it is based on the novels by L.J. Smith, the very same author who gave us The Vampire Diaries, so it is a natural next stop for that crowd. Just know it only ran for a single season.
rotates across streaming and digital rental, so check your region.
For readers who love teen witches, a secret coven, and a dangerous, forbidden romance.
Read it next: the Secret Circle novels by L.J. Smith, the source books.
Magic Schools and Chosen Ones
Academy settings, found families, and powers nobody saw coming. If you love a chosen one with a secret destiny and a brooding classmate, settle in.
Supernatural Academy
Twin sisters separated at birth discover they are dragon-marked and cursed, and must trust each other to survive their supernatural school and save the world.
It is animated, it is bingeable, and it is based on Jaymin Eve’s beloved book series, so the source material is right there waiting for you.
Supernatural Academy streams on Peacock in the US and Netflix in the UK and Australia, and is available to rent or buy on Prime Video, so check your region.
For fans of Zodiac Academy and readers who love an academy setting, dragon-marked chosen ones, and sisterly found family.
Read it next: the Supernatural Academy series by Jaymin Eve, the books behind the show, or Zodiac Academy by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti for more magical mayhem.
Winx Club & Fate: The Winx Saga
Two flavours of the same magical world, darlings. Winx Club is the bright, beloved animated series about fairies at a magic school, all sparkle and sisterhood.
Fate: The Winx Saga is the moodier live-action reimagining on Netflix, with darker stakes, slow-burn romance, and that gorgeous boarding-school-for-the-magical setting.
Both stream on Netflix in many regions, with Winx Club also airing on Nickelodeon platforms.
For readers who want a magic school, a tight circle of friends, and a romance simmering in the background.
Read it next: Zodiac Academy by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti for the chosen-one academy energy, or A Deal with the Elf King by Elise Kova for the fae romance.
Fairytale Hearts
Retellings, true love, and the swoony fairytale bones that so much of romantasy is built on.
Beauty and the Beast
The fairytale that basically invented the romantasy reader’s favourite trope, the girl who tames the monster. Whether you reach for the lavish 2017 live-action film or the animated classic, the bones are pure romantasy, a cursed beast, an enchanted castle, and a love that breaks the spell.
Bookish bonus, this is the exact fairytale that A Court of Thorns and Roses reimagines.
The Disney films stream on Disney+ in most regions.
For readers who live for the beauty-and-the-beast trope and a hero hiding a soft heart under the monster, and for fans of of A Court Of Thorns And Roses by Sarah J. Maas
Read it next: A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas, the romantasy crown jewel of this trope, or Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge for a darker retelling.
Ella Enchanted
A clever, funny Cinderella retelling about a girl cursed with obedience and the prince she falls for along the way.
It is light, charming, and full of heart, the cosy fairytale comfort watch when you want romance without the heartbreak.
Ella Enchanted rotates across streaming and digital rental, so check your region.
For readers who want a witty fairytale retelling and a feel-good romance.
Read it next: Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine, the lovely book behind the film, or Cinder by Marissa Meyer for a sci-fi fairytale spin.
The Princess Bride
The cosiest, wittiest fairytale adventure of them all. True love, swordfights, a dread pirate, and a story so quotable you will be saying “as you wish” for weeks.
It is the comfort blanket of romantasy-adjacent films, and every reader of fated love should have it in their hearts.
Watch The Princess Bride on Disney+ and other platforms depending on region.
For readers who want charm, adventure, and a true love story that never takes itself too seriously.
Read it next: The Princess Bride by William Goldman, the source novel, or Stardust by Neil Gaiman for a fairytale quest with heart.
Once Upon a Time
Every fairytale character you can think of, cursed into our world and slowly remembering who they truly are, with romance threaded through the whole glorious tapestry.
The Rumplestiltskin and Belle arc is a full beauty-and-the-beast slow burn, there is true love and dark magic and villains you will adore against your better judgement, and it is the ultimate cosy binge for the fairytale-hearted.
Watch on Disney+ in most regions.
For readers who adore fairytale retellings, a sprawling ensemble, and a tame-the-monster romance.
Read it next: A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas, or Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge for the cursed-beast swoon
Ever After
A glittering, grounded Cinderella retelling with a clever, fierce heroine who rescues herself just as often as the prince does. A little heads up, darlings, this one is pure fairytale romance rather than fantasy, so there is no magic in it, just the sweeping gowns, the witty banter, and a love story made to be sighed over.
It is the perfect gentle palate cleanser between your spellbound binges.
It rotates across streaming and digital rental, so check your region.
For readers who want a smart Cinderella retelling and a feel-good historical romance.
Read it next: Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine or Cinder by Marissa Meyer for a fairytale heroine with bit.
Time-Crossed and History-Drenched
For readers who love their romance with corsets, kingdoms, and a love that spans centuries.
Outlander
The grand dame of time-travel romance. A WWII nurse tumbles through standing stones into eighteenth-century Scotland and into the arms of a Highlander who will absolutely ruin you for other men.
It is sweeping, it is steamy, it is the gold standard of historical romance with a fantastical twist.
Starz, Prime and Netflix, with availability varying by region.
For readers who want epic historical romance, a fierce heroine, and a hero who is devotion personified.
Read it next: Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, the saga behind the show, or The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen for political marriage and slow burn.
My Lady Jane
A cheeky, joyful alternate-history fantasy where Tudor England is full of shapeshifters and Lady Jane Grey gets a far more fun fate than history gave her.
It is witty, romantic, and gloriously irreverent, and it is based on the equally delightful book.
Watch My Lady Jane on Prime Video.
For readers who want a funny, romantic, low-stress fantasy with banter for days.
Read it next: My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows, the book it is based on, or Bridgerton: The Duke and I by Julia Quinn for more witty historical romance.
Wolves and the Moon
Teen Wolf
A high schooler bitten by a werewolf navigates packs, alphas, and a whole lot of supernatural romance. It is angsty, action-packed, and surprisingly tender, with shifter romance running all the way through.
There is a follow-up film too if you fall in love with the pack.
Teen Wolf streams on Netflix and Prime Video and other platforms depending on region.
For readers who love shifter romance, found family, and a pack worth fighting for.
Read it next: The Wolf King by Lauren Palphreyman for the aching wolf romance, or The Wolf and the Woodsman by Ava Reid for a darker, mythic shifter tale.
More to Explore
I could not write a romantasy watch guide and leave these off, darlings. Every single one belongs on your list.
Shadow and Bone
The Grishaverse on screen, all magic, military fantasy, and a brooding shadow summoner. If you love a fated power, a found-family crew, and a darkling who lives in your head, this is essential viewing.
Where to watch: Netflix.
Read it next: the Shadow and Bone and Six of Crows books by Leigh Bardugo, or Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros.
The Witcher
A monster hunter, a fierce sorceress, and a destiny that keeps pulling them together. Dark, lush fantasy with a slow-burn romance at its centre.
Where to watch: Netflix.
Read it next: The Witcher novels by Andrzej Sapkowski, or From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout.
Carnival Row
A fae refugee and a human detective in a forbidden love story set in a gorgeous, gritty fantasy city. If your heart belongs to fae-and-mortal romance, this one is criminally underrated.
Where to watch: Prime Video.
Read it next: The Cruel Prince by Holly Black, or An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson.
Stardust
A fallen star, a quest, witches, and a love story under a magical sky. Possibly the most perfect romantasy fairytale film ever made, and somehow still a hidden gem.
Where to watch: It rotates across platforms and digital rental.
Read it next: Stardust by Neil Gaiman, or Uprooted by Naomi Novik.
Damsel
A bride promised to a kingdom discovers she is the sacrifice, and must outwit a dragon to survive. A fierce heroine, a dragon, and a satisfyingly subversive fairytale.
Where to watch: Netflix.
Read it next: Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros , or The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen.
Reign
Mary, Queen of Scots reimagined as a lush, romantic court drama full of forbidden love, scheming, and the occasional dash of the mystical. A guilty-pleasure binge for the historical romance hearts.
Where to watch: It rotates across streaming platforms, so check your region.
Read it next: My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows, or the Bridgerton novels by Julia Quinn.
If You Loved The Book, Watch This
| IF YOU LOVED… | WATCH THIS | WHY YOU WILL LOVE IT |
|---|---|---|
| Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros | House of the Dragon | Dragons, war, and a romance defying a whole kingdom |
| A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas | Beauty and the Beast | The original tame-the-monster, fae-court fairytale |
| From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout | The Originals | Immortal devotion, court politics, and family with fangs |
| Crave by Tracy Wolff | Vampire Academy | Boarding-school vampires and a forbidden, fated bite |
| Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead | The Vampire Diaries | Brooding immortals, a love triangle, and pure addiction |
| Twilight by Stephenie Meyer | The Vampire Diaries | The cosy human-meets-vampire slow pull, all over again |
| Zodiac Academy by Caroline Peckham | Fate: The Winx Saga | A magic school, a tight circle, and simmering romance |
| The Cruel Prince by Holly Black | Carnival Row | Fae-and-mortal forbidden love with a dangerous edge |
| Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo | The Witcher | Lush dark fantasy and a slow burn worth the wait |
| Powerless by Lauren Roberts | Shadow and Bone | Forbidden powers, found family, and a morally grey love |
| Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin | A Discovery of Witches | A witch, a hunter, and a romance that should not work |
| Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor | Shadowhunters | Angels, demons, runes, and a love heaven would forbid |
| Outlander by Diana Gabaldon | Outlander | Sweeping historical romance with all the longing |
| Bridgerton by Julia Quinn | My Lady Jane | Witty, romantic, irreverent period drama with banter |
| An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir | The Wheel of Time | Prophecy, epic scale, and a slow simmer of yearning |
| Stardust by Neil Gaiman | The Princess Bride | A charming fairytale quest and a true love story |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
They are very close cousins, darlings, and lots of readers use the terms interchangeably. Generally, romantasy is fantasy where the romance is central to the story and gets a satisfying arc, fantasy plot and love story braided together so tightly you cannot pull them apart. Pure fantasy romance often leans even harder into the romance as the main event. Either way, if you want magic and a love story that makes you feel things, you are in the right place.
Yes, and it is a thrilling time to be a reader. Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros has officially been ordered to series at Prime Video, so Violet and Xaden are heading to our screens. A Court of Thorns and Roses was in development at Hulu for years before being dropped, and Sarah J. Maas has since regained the rights and may shop it to a new home, so all hope is not lost. Keep an eye on this space, because the romantasy adaptation boom is very much underway
Start with anything heavy on the beauty-and-the-beast and fae-court energy, so Beauty and the Beast, Carnival Row for the fae longing, and Cursed for the doomed magical romance. Outlander will also scratch that epic, swoony, slow-burn itch beautifully.
Go straight for the dragons and the high-stakes-academy feel. Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon for the dragonback drama, Supernatural Academy for the dragon-marked chosen ones, Damsel for a girl versus dragon, and Shadow and Bone for the military fantasy and the morally grey love interest.
For the steamier end, reach for True Blood, Outlander, and Bridgerton. For sweeter, lower-heat comfort viewing, try The Princess Bride, Ella Enchanted, My Lady Jane, and the Beauty and the Beast films. Most of the rest sit somewhere cosy in the middle, with longing aplenty and not too much that you could not watch it with a cup of tea and a blanket.
Which one’s have you watched or are you starting with? Let me know in the comments!
