Arguably one of the best books of 2017, Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng is being adapted into a series, produced by (and starring) Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington. The show will be part of a collaboration between the actress' two production companies, Hello Sunshine (Witherspoon's) and Simpson Street (Washington's).
Here's everything you need to know about the series that's set to be your new addiction...
The plot
The book tells the story of a single mother, Mia Warren, who moves to the suburbs in Ohio with her teenage daughter, where they become involved with Elena Richardson and her picture-perfect family. While Mia is a free-spirited artist with a mysterious past, Elena is a stickler for the rules and status quo. The two families find themselves on opposing sides when a custody battle erupts over the adoption of a Chinese-American baby and the plot unfolds to explore the weight of secrets, the struggles of motherhood and the danger of always following the rules no matter the cost.
The director
The creator of Life Unexpected, Liz Tigelaar (who also writes for the likes of Revenge and Bates Motel) will pen the script while also serving as show runner and executive producer. Witherspoon and Washington will also be executive producers.
The series will be aired on TV network Hulu, which won the project after a "bidding war that ignited Hollywood," according to CNN. The show scored a "straight-to-series" order, meaning that they didn't need to make a pilot in order to convince channel bosses.
In a Hulu press release, Witherspoon spoke for her production company Hello Sunshine: "We strive to shine a light on female-driven stories that are rooted in inspiration, emotion and truth—all of which form the bedrock of Celeste Ng's ingenious work... We are confident that [Hulu's] talented team will use this story to spur a long-overdue dialogue around race, class, and what it means to be a mother."
Washington added: “As producers, we at Simpson Street are so proud to be part of this team to tell this extraordinary story inspired by Celeste Ng’s phenomenal novel and we are thrilled to be embarking on this journey with Hulu. As an actress, I am floored to have the opportunity to work alongside Reese Witherspoon exploring the rich themes of this story playing these dynamic characters.”
The cast
Hollywood pair Witherspoon and Washington will star in the series, marking the first time that they have worked together. Liz Tigelaar will serve as showrunner to the series, which will also star Joshua Jackson (The Affair) and Rosemarie DeWitt (The Last Tycoon).
Witherspoon revealed at the Television Critics Association presentation on Friday that she had been wanting to do a project with Washington “for a long time”, and this had seemed the perfect fit.
“When I read the book, it just had so many themes that were very complex and I knew whoever was going to be my partner... who was going to show up to do the work because it's a lot of work. The first person who I thought was perfect was Kerry,” Witherspoon said, as per People.
Witherspoon continued: “She deepens the conversation and I knew I wanted to go on this journey with her. It just made sense that we were representing completely different kinds of women and different kinds of mother but both with dignity and respect.”
The trailer
Hulu has now unveiled the official trailer for the series, and it is as thrilling and dramatic as we hoped for:
View full post on YoutubeThe release date
The series will debut on March 18 on Hulu.
View full post on InstagramReese Witherspoon Style File
