Leslye Headland has been confirmed as the director for the Netflix film adaptation of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s bestselling novel, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.
Despite the similarities in name Reid’s The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo has nothing in common with Ruskin Bond’s short story Susanna’s Seven Husbands, which had spawned an adaptation starring Priyanka Chopra in 2011, 7 Khoon Maaf (transl. 7 Murders Forgiven), directed by Vishal Bhardwaj.
Little Fires Everywhere creator Liz Tigelaar is on board as the screenwriter and Liza Chasin will be producing for 3Dot Productions, alongside Brad Mendelsohn for Circle of Confusion.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo has become quite a sensation, especially on book TikTok, spending an impressive 120 weeks on the New York Times Bestseller Paperback list.
The story revolves around an interview with Evelyn Hugo, an ageing Hollywood star, who reveals shocking truths about her life and the lives of those around her while delving into the scandals, betrayals, and hardships that characterised her seven marriages in the backdrop of the Golden Age of Hollywood.
Jessica Chastain has shown interest in being cast as Evelyn’s friend and peer Celia St. James after fan casting rumours. Chastain has said, “I do know there is an online thing about it. Sure, send me a script,” as per IndieWire.
Leslye Headland’s involvement in this project, as confirmed by Netflix’s Tudum, comes hot off the heels of her recently wrapped production of the highly-anticipated Star Wars series, The Acolyte. The series generated considerable buzz after an exclusive preview at the Star Wars Celebration event in London.
Her breakthrough came as the showrunner of the hit Netflix series Russian Doll, which she co-created along with Amy Poehler and series star Natasha Lyonne. Headland not only served as a writer and showrunner but also directed several episodes of Russian Doll.
She is currently in a multi-year overall deal with the Disney-owned studio, enabling her to create, develop, and direct series for various platforms.
With Leslye Headland at the helm, fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s novel can look forward to a visually captivating adaptation on Netflix, promising to bring Evelyn Hugo’s dazzling story to life on screen.
