Readers fell in love with Rufi Thorpe’s Margo’s Got Money Troubles when it hit the shelves in summer 2024. But it wasn’t just readers loving it. The award-winning novel was also scooped up by a studio quickly and now the star-studded, on-screen adaptation is here. Thorpe is well known for crafting quirky characters and pushing literary boundaries. Her collection of titles includes The Girls from Corona Del Mar (2014); Dear Fang, With Love (2016); The Knock-Out Queen (2020); Everyone’s Happy (2021); and Margo’s Got Money Troubles (2024). As we wait impatiently for this new Apple TV series—releasing April 15, 2026—we’ve rounded up any tidbit of juicy news we could find from the cast and creators of Margo’s Got Money Troubles.

Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe

Margo Millet’s childhood was anything but ordinary, so why would adulthood be different? The daughter of a Hooters waitress and an ex-pro wrestler, Margo is familiar with making the most of meager means, so when an affair in college with an English professor turns into an unplanned pregnancy, her creativity and resourcefulness become the key to providing for her growing family. Desperate to make ends meet, Margo dives headfirst into the lucrative world of OnlyFans and is swept up in the artistry of storytelling. But becoming an overnight sensation has its drawbacks.

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As we wait for Apple TV to drop this new series, we are skimming all the juicy news leading up to release to hold us—and you—over until April 15.

Rufi Thorpe on the Auctioned Adaption and Social Stigmas Around Sex Work

In an interview with Writer’s Digest, Thorpe discusses how the novel explores many facets of motherhood and womanhood that contradict societal norms. Blending the taboo of unplanned pregnancy and sex work, she’s tackling topics that have centuries of conflict in a modern setting. Exploring so much more than a scorned profession, Thorpe examines atypical families, young mothers, and the challenges of fame.

“I could never figure out how it would work because the pedestal we place mothers on and the unexamined disdain with which we treat sex workers just seemed too entrenched. When OnlyFans started taking off during the pandemic, it seemed to fit into this really interesting morally gray area where people were just a little bit less quick to judge, and I saw my chance.”

Thorpe goes on to admit in the interview to being shocked at the success of her novel and Apple TV’s quick acquisition of the story:

“But I don’t think any of us were expecting it when there was a very intense auction for the TV rights before the book had even come out. I mean, it was the best surprise in the world, but it was certainly a surprise! I didn’t even really know that could happen.”

Rufi Thorpe on Casting, Research, and the On-Screen Evolution

Though the character Margo is fictional, the details on the inner workings of OnlyFans is anything but. In fact, from the story’s conception, Thorpe states—in an interview with Audible blogger Katie O’Connor—that she extensively studied OnlyFans and went as far as interviewing real women working on the platform to gain insights into the realities of sex work in modern times. Thorpe sheds new light on the complexities of motherhood exploring the social controversy of mothers expressing sexuality after bearing children.

“For OnlyFans, the research was, I mean, obviously I listened to every podcast and blog and op-ed and I did as much reading as I could, but I really needed to talk to girls. And that was very expensive [laughs], because they are businesswomen that know exactly how much their time is worth and there’s really no way of getting in touch with them on social media. Their whole online presence is designed to really control and focus and limit their points of contact with people. So, I started an OnlyFans account, and I would send them like a $50 tip to make sure they saw the message, and say, ‘Hey, I’m a novelist,’ and link to my work so they knew I was actually a novelist.”

Thorpe goes on to gush to about the casting of Elle Fanning as Margo, stating for Audible that she was overjoyed that such a fitting woman is bringing Margo to life.

“It felt like such a strange artistic full circle. Like, they couldn’t have gotten a more perfect person. And then just hearing her do the audiobook, I mean, she’s flawless. I feel like she just is Margo and she has such a light touch, but so much emotion and done so deftly. I just am so wildly impressed with her as a performer. And then to imagine as I’m listening, like thinking about her actually getting to have this role on screen. It’s wild. This is beyond your wildest dreams territory of, like, I couldn’t have even imagined this happening when I was writing the book.”

Photo credit: Apple TV

The Stars of Apple TV’s Margo’s Got Money Troubles

In a recent interview with People, Elle Fanning talks about prepping for her role as Margo, including the research that the cast and crew did to gain insights on OnlyFans and staying true to the realities of sex work.

“Obviously, I am an Instagram user and a TikTok user. I got to look at that,” Fanning says. “Also, we had to dive into OnlyFans a little bit. We did create an account for the writer’s room, and for me, so I could check out how the website is.”

In an interview with ELLE, writer and creator of Margo’s Got Money Troubles adaptation, David E. Kelley discussed reading the source text and the story’s impressive depth, citing that the novel is rich in satire and upending social norms.

“It’s an affirmative story…My read of the book is that there was real social realism with absurdism splashed into it. And that’s just a juicy cocktail.”

Co-star Michelle Pfeiffer highlights for ELLE the show’s topical significance to today’s environment for women and the joys of creating a wholesome, if not a little scandalous, story.

“The story of Margo is so culturally relevant right now. It powerfully explores all the contemporary struggles of motherhood, societal stigmas, the financial struggles of early adulthood…It’s a series about rallying around those you believe in, and a beautiful example of unconditional love and resilience.”

Photo credit: Apple TV

While the cast, crew, and creators might be anxious to release this new adaption, we wait with bated breath for this beloved story to come to life on screen, a tale that is sure to win hearts and minds this spring!