Netflix’s ‘The Age of Innocence’ casts Camila Morrone, Kristine Froseth, Ben Radcliffe, and Margo Martindale
Things are moving better than expected for The Age of Innocence limited series. Netflix has recently roped in four prominent leads for the upcoming adaptation, and since you’re here, it’s safe to assume that the names blew your mind as well.
According to Netflix, Camila Morrone (Something Bad Going to Happen), Kristine Froseth (Oh Canada), Ben Radcliff (Anatomy of a Scandal), and Margo Martindale (The Americans) have been cast in big roles in the Netflix adaptation of Edith Wharton’s novel.
Morrone will portray Ellen Olenska, Froseth will play May Welland, Radcliffe will portray Newland Archer, and Martindale will play Mrs Manson. All four of them are set to appear in Netflix’s The Age of Innocence as series regulars.
The character descriptions have also surfaced, which describe Ellen Olenska as May’s brilliant, self-sufficient, and free-spirited cousin. She returns to New York after a “failed marriage” to a Polish nobleman, Count Stanislas Olenski. Although she’s wilful, headstrong, and equally sharp-witted, Ellen feels friction and guilt with her new societal rank.
Froseth portrays May Welland, a polite and down-to-earth woman, who is a result of her societal class. Contrary to Ellen, she’s far more conventional. She is disciplined and staunch. However, she also believes in the status quo, albeit not without rebellion. Meanwhile, Radcliffe plays Newland Archer, who knows how many beans make a five. He’s not only brilliant, but also advanced in his outlook, progressive as they call it. Full of handsomeness and genuine charm, Newland “craves a deeper and more passionate connection to the world and someone in it” (via Variety).
Lastly, Martindale breathes life into the character of Mrs Manson, Mingott, May and Ellen’s grandmother. She is amusingly entertaining yet has a scurrilous demeanour. She’s also uncooperative, fickle-minded, and stubborn as a mule.
For those unaware, Netflix’s The Age of Innocence was announced in April. The logline teases, “This fresh take is true to Wharton’s novel but will speak to a new generation as we traverse the ballrooms and bedrooms of these young people, asking the question, what is love and what is lust?”
Emma Frost serves as the executive producer and showrunner, who is also writing the episodes. Besides her, Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping, and Tracey Cook of Chernin Entertainment executive produce the series. So does Pavlina Hatoupis. The first three episodes are to be directed by Shannon Murphy, who is additionally an executive producer. Lisa Bruhmann and Natalia Leite also serve as directors for The Age of Innocence.