No, this isn't a dream. We're getting a new drama with Kerry Washington and Reese Witherspoon very soon, and the anticipation is killing me. The two icons have teamed up with Hulu for a TV series based on Little Fires Everywhere, the hit 2017 novel by author Celeste Ng, and it'll premiere on Hulu on March 18, 2020.
It's based on Celeste's Ng's bestselling book.
Ng's book was on the New York Times bestseller list for almost 30 weeks. The novel tells the story of two families who live in the town of Shaker Heights, a suburb outside of Cleveland. It's 1996. We're introduced to Elena Richardson, who embodies the cookie-cutter image the town is known for, and Mia Warren, everything the town is not. When Warren and her daughter Pearl rent a house from the Richardson, well—things get dramatic.
What plays out over 352 pages is an compelling tale of mystery, choices, class, and motherhood. Even if you want to wait to see the series before you read the book to avoid spoilers, this is one to add to your reading list.
If you have read the book and are worried that the show might not live up to the pages, Celeste Ng gave the series her stamp of approval back in November of 2018.
Little Fires Everywhere already has a trailer and premiere date.
This is not one of those situations where we get you excited about a really good show coming out, and then break the news that you won't be able to watch it for months. The eight-episode limited series will hit Hulu on March 18.
In the trailer, we finally see the fictional characters we know to come to life; Reese Witherspoon takes on the role of Elena Richardson, and Kerry Washington plays Mia Warren. The trailer looks like it'll focus more on the two women's relationship than the ones their children forge, but, then again, it's a trailer, so you never really know how the real show will shape up. Also, showrunner Liz Tigelaar has hinted that the show will focus more into Elena's daughter Izzy's sexuality than the books did, according to Variety.
"When I read that character and relating to that character, although I probably wasn't as much as a rebel as I thought I was, it just seemed so obvious to me that she could be a girl in this town at this time, at this age, with this mother who could be living in a world that feels like such a facade," she said.
Washington and Witherspoon have roles behind the camera, too.
In addition to starring in Little Fires Everywhere, the two actresses serve as executive producers. Washington's production company, Simpson Street, and Witherspoon's, Hello Sunshine, are responsible for producing the series alongside ABC Studios. At the Television Critics Association, Witherspoon talked about how she was looking for a partner who she could have "many conversations" and would "actually...show up and do the work." And then Washington came in!
At the same event, Washington spoke about how it's been being a producer on the show, "As producers, we get to employ hundreds and hundreds of artists and activists, and we can do that in environments that are safe and embody our values."
The cast features some old and new faces.
We know that our two main characters will be played by Washington and Witherspoon, but who else will play Shaker Heights' finest?
Joshua Jackson will play Elena's husband, Bill Richardson. Jade Pettyjohn, Jordan Elsass, Gavin Lewis, and Megan Stott will make up the Richardson children as Lexie, Trip, Moody, and Izzy. Lexi Underwood will play Mia's daughter Pearl, Huang Lu will be Bebe, Jesse Williams will play Joe Ryan, and Rosemarie DeWitt is Linda McGullough, according to EW.
And when Washington stopped by Ellen, she hinted that her father would make an appearance in the series. She explained that her father was "a featured background artist" in the series with no lines. Since she's a producer on the show, she joked to the daytime host that she's threatened to take his scene away if her dad doesn't keep it in line. "If my dad misbehaves, I'm like, 'I could cut you out of that show. I'm a producer. I can cut you out of that show,' So, it kind of keeps him in check," she joked.
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