Director Chris McKay has just convinced me that he is definitely the right choice to adapt the beloved dark romantic comedy bookButcher & Blackbirdin the best way. Recently, BookTok has brought us a ton of great romance and romantasy books that areperfect beach read books for summer 2025from authors like Emily Henry and Rachel Gillig. However, one BookTok romance staple has continued to thrive despite the recent completion of its trilogy and the slew of new titles coming in:Butcher & Blackbirdby Brynne Weaver.
Weaver’s novel tells the story of two vigilante serial killers who hunt other killers and took romance spaces by storm in 2023, quickly becoming one ofBookTok’s most popular books. Unsurprisingly, Weaver’s great combination of dark romance tropes with amazing comedic timing broughtButcher & Blackbirdout of the book sphere, gaining a movie adaptation with McKay at the helm. While I was a bit skeptical at first of this directorial choice, this small post from McKay on Instagram has proven that he was, in fact, the ideal candidate to take on Weaver’s nuanced storyline.
Director Chris McKay Offered A Fun Butcher & Blackbird Update On His Instagram Story
McKay Reposted A Reel Showcasing Custom B&B Cookies
McKay offered fans a bit of insight into his love of theButcher & Blackbirdproject, setting aside some worries I had regarding his role as director.McKay reposted a reel showcasing a set ofButcher &Blackbird-themed cookies from custom book cake artist Nat Just CakesonInstagram, praising both the amazing artistry that outlined important symbols and quotes from the book as well as the taste. Nat Just Cakes is a prolific book cake designer, with designs and projects including most of BookTok’s favorite series, fromFourth WingtoA Court of Thorns & Roses.
Butcher & Blackbird’s film adaptation was announced in June 2024.
ThoughMcKay’s post did not include any explicit updates on theButcher & Blackbirdfilm’s progress, it did help assuage some of my worries about his qualifications. I do not doubt his clear love of the series, as seen in his statements after the film was announced, but his largely comedy and action-based filmography had me worried that he would not get every aspect of what makes Weaver’s story unique.
It also helps that Brynne Weaver herself posted about the cut cookies and gushed about how the adaptation is progressing. She’s an executive producer, meaning she likely has some say about the creative decisions being made for the movie, so the fact that she’s this excited about it bodes well. Seeing these posts today definitely convinces me that McKay fully understands the tone of the series, which is one of its many stand-out qualities.
The Post Convinces Me That He Gets The Book’s Tone
McKay Gets How Weaver’s Book Mixes Comedy With Horror
McKay’s post shows that he sees howButcher & Blackbirdconnects classic dark romance tropes with humor, which lends the series its unique tone.Barring a few exceptions, like Navessa Allen’sLights Out,Weaver’s work is one of a kind in that it takes the darker aspects of dark romance and places them in a more balanced, comedic light, creating an atmosphere of morbid humor in each of the Kane brothers' love stories. As mentioned, McKay’s previous film work did not reflect that he would capture that tone, as he previously focused on more conventional comedies likeThe Lego Movie.
His reaction to these cookies, though, has proven that McKay understands and is happy to celebrate that tonal blend, giving me even more hope for theButcher & Blackbirdmovie.Those cookies truly highlighted the darker undertones of the book, so for McKay to compliment them so highly shows that he is unafraid of exploring more of that element in his filmography and will honor Weaver’s original vision. That will hopefully allowButcher & Blackbirdto get the bigger spotlight it deserves, even as the series continues to be highly recommended on BookTok.
Brynne Weaver’s Ruinous Love Trilogy Has Been A Hit But Still Deserves More Love
The Film Can Highlight The Best Parts of Weaver’s Series
By ensuring that the tone ofButcher & Blackbirdis faithfully captured, Brynne Weaver’sRuinious Lovetrilogy could get the love and attention it deserves. Though Weaver’s works have been featured greatly in recommendations and discussions on book platforms, it is still one of manyspicy romance books on BookTokpopulating the romance sphere.As a result, readers may still not know about the fun and heartwarming storyline the series provides alongside of its break from conventional dark romance normsof brooding male love interests and largely somber tones.
BookTok would completely rediscover all of the great things aboutButcher & Blackbirdalongside the rest of the series, truly bringing it out of the dark.
If McKay is able to showcase Weaver’s blend of humor, heart, and horror in the film, then the book will likely get the attention it deserves on BookTokand beyond. Seeing these moments play out would inspire new discourse on theRuinous Lovetrilogy as well as cosplayers to try their hand at acting out these scenes, giving them new meanings that still convey the heart of each moment. BookTok would completely rediscover all of the great things aboutButcher & Blackbirdalongside the rest of the series, truly bringing it out of the dark.
